It Wasn't The Nails

Have you ever stopped to think about what held the Savior to the tree. He who with his Father created the universe and all that is in it, wasn't held there by the nails in his hands and feet. Also he could have called 10,000 angels who were waiting to rescue him. It had to be love. Total, unfathomable love for us. You and I, whose righteousness is as filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6), should have been crucified. We should have suffered and died, as Gorden Jensen so beautifully puts it in one song he wrote and sings. Oh the width, and length and depth and height of God's (Elohim in the Hebrew) love for us (Ephesians 3:17-20).

IT WASN'T THE NAILS

It wasn't the nails,

That held you to the tree,

The angels we ready,

Wanted to rescue you,

You didn't have to die,

As a sinless sacrifice,

For our sin,

You didn't have to come,

Live among sinners,

Heal the sick,

Set people free,

Teach the truth,

Proclaim the kingdom,

Endure ridicule,

Temptation,

So why did you come?

If it wasn't the nails?

What held you there?

Why did you suffer?

Willingly endure torture?

Separation from the Father?

Carry our sin's weight?

To our human minds,

It's beyond understanding,

It could only be love,

Your total love for us.

All That You Are

Awesome is a good word to describe it. As I ponder the almost unbelievable reality of the heavenly Father's love that he would send his only begotten Son to die for our sins, I am filled with reverence and gratefulness. And that the Son of God (Elohim in the Hebrew) in trusting obedience to his Father and love for us, would agree to humble himself and became a human and live for 33 years among sinners who often treated him like dirt and then crucified him is even more awesome.

Yes, our Savior was beaten and mocked. He even shed blood over the agony of what he was facing. But that's not the worst of it. He carried the weight of the whole world's sins on his shoulders. I can't even carry the weight of my own sins. He also knew separation
from his Father for the first time. Oh the width, and length and depth and height of the Father and Son's love for us (Ephesians 3:14-21).

ALL THAT YOU ARE

Heavenly Father,

Precious Savior,

Your offer is irresistible,

All that you are,

For all that I'm not,

Your righteous desires,

For my sinful ones,

Your Spirit's fruit,

For my fleshly works,

Your strength,

For my weakness,

Your wisdom,

For my stinking thinking,

Your healing,

For my wounds,

Your deliverance,

For my bondages,

Your wholeness,

For my brokenness,

Your fellowship,

For my loneliness,

And oh so much more,

Prove your love for me.

My Favorite Roads

MY FAVORITE ROADS

By: Jan Hagg

From early childhood some of my favorite roads were the ones heading home. As I got off the school bus, the tantalizing smell coming from the kitchen greeted me as I walked through the door.

Until my Mom, who was my dearest friend died, I lived at home. Moving to an apartment afterward was a lonely experience. Every time I drove away from my childhood home, it felt as though I was heading in the wrong direction. Over time this feeling lessened. Then God in loving answer to my many prayers provided me with a sweetheart man and a new home. No longer lonely, the road home was once again my favorite one.

As a child, one of my favorite roads was the one heading to my great aunt and uncle, Maggie and William's home. As did they, their tree shaded lawn and gorgeous flowers drew me to the place. I have a picture in my mind of us five kids frolicking amidst the trees on their lawn. When they died and we could no longer go to visit, my heart broke. Another favorite drive was to my Aunt Jan's and Uncle Sam's house. Sharing a meal together and playing with my cousins made the day. Alternating homes, we got together with them often.

Some very special roads for me are the ones leading out of town for a longer vacation or even just one day away from the normal routine. I also love the roads heading into a state park with its calming views and scenic hiking trails. Also, I love taking local roads from beginning to end.

As the saying goes, "The road to a friend's house is never long." A number of very special places for me are the homes of my good friends. Being a people person, time with those closest to me is essential.

Judith Thurman wrote, "Every dreamer knows that it is entirely possible to be homesick for a place you've never been to, perhaps more homesick than for familiar ground." I found this years ago on the cover of a Land's End catalog. Because it so beautifully sums up the greatest desire of my heart, for many years it hung above my computer. While savoring each blessing God has placed in my life on earth, the day when my beloved Jesus and I meet face to face to spend eternity together is my most longed for moment.

It cost God the highest price to purchase our salvation. His only Son had to die for our sin. Oh the love of the Father and Son that they would make such a sacrifice! Our part is to get honest about our sin, turn from it, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. All of us are heading toward one destination or another. Where we end up all depends on which road we chose to travel. Will we live for self or God? The former is a miserable dead end trip. From years of personal experience I can wholeheartedly testify that, "Serving Jesus is the most joyous adventure and best path anyone could possibly choose!"

The Safest Place

The other night some friends and I got to talking about the safest place to be. One told about a lady who lived and ministered in one of most crime ridden ghettos. When people expressed concern for her safety she told them that the safest place you can ever be is in the center of God's will. I have read Anita Dittman's book, "Trapped In Hitler's Hell." A young Christian lady who was part German and part Jewish, she was sent to a German work camp. Her believing Mom who was all Jewish was sent to a concentration camp. She tells many of the miracles that she experienced while in the work camp. I have also heard her speak. Anita's story is a truly faith building one. She ended it by saying, "Safety isn't found in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God."

THE SAFEST PLACE

When the storm threatens,

Or the tempest pounds,

Hidden under our Savior's wings,

Their protective shadow,

Secure in his embrace,

Resting not wrestling,

Is the safest place to be,

Having surrendered our will,

Seeking to know His,

Then walking in obedience,

One step at a time,

Learning to hear his voice,

Discern it from the enemies,

Honest about our fears,

Letting our Father heal us,

Set us free,

Give us his strength,

Show us his faithfulness,

Which builds trust,

Is the safest place to be.

Safety isn't found in the

absence of danger, but in the

presence of God. Anita Dittman

When The Father Smiles

Have you ever ask yourself, "What makes the heavenly Father happy?" While making super the other day, I got to thinking about what makes the Father smile. What are the actions we take or words that we speak that bring joy to his heart? Can our saying no to someone's request for help or their asking us to participate with them in a certain activity cause him to smile? Definitely! A firm "no" where appropriate is one the most powerful words we can utter and brings great joy to the Father's heart. As we seek him for it, our heavenly Father, will give us all that we need to stick to that no. 

Studying Scripture on a daily basis and desiring to know our Father's will so we can do it, brings him great joy. He longs to give us his desires, wisdom, strength and all else that we need to walk victoriously. The heart of the matter truly is a surrendered heart that longs to please him.

Also, no one owes us anything. When someone blesses us we should always verbally express our gratefulness and where possible back it up with kind actions that bless them in return. This kind of lifestyle always brings  a joyous smile to the Father's face. Out of  those thoughts came this poem. May it bless you and bring a smile to your face. Love, Jan

WHEN THE FATHER SMILES

When the Father smiles,

So does Son,

Also, the angels,

And the Father’s disciples,

Filled with joy,

That their beloved is happy!

When the Father smiles,

Darkness flees,

The healing light shines,

Refreshes and renews,

Sets people free,

Brings life!

When the Father smiles,

Fear flees,

Peace reigns,

His embrace comforts,

Brings hope,

Assurance about the future!

When the Father smiles,

He sees our hearts,

Our actions,

And words,

That strive for purity,

To reveal him to others!

Even In The Darkest Night

No matter how oppressive life's circumstances appear, our wonderful Messiah is always right by our side. Even in the darkest night our Good Shepherd's rod and staff are still there to guide and protect us (Psalm 23:4). When the storms of life rage and we can't feel his presence, our Provider still speaks to us of his nearness through his words to us in Scripture where he promises to never leave us or forsake us (Joshua 1:5). The key is to be daily seeking his face through praise and thanksgiving, prayer and Scripture reading. 

EVEN IN THE DARKEST NIGHT

Even in the darkest night,
When we can’t sense your presence,
Sigh with longing,
Cry out for the former closeness,
The sweet intimacy we treasured,
You are there.

Even when negative thoughts torment,
And we become desperate,
Plead to see our sin,
So we can repent,
And restore intimacy,
You are there.

Even in the lowest valley,
Facing the shadow of death,
And we are panic stricken,
Tempted to run,
Or lag behind,
You are there.

In every season of life,
The joyous and the sorrowful,
If we but submit,
You are working in us,
Producing depth of relationship,
It’s so reassuring  to know,
You are always there!

The Deep Things of Darkness vs. The Deep Things of Light

The end of the Church age and the of the beginning of our Father's eternal kingdom will very soon be here. Scripture details the nasty events that will take place during that time. The only way to successfully go through what is coming is to keep our eyes on the prize which is an eternity with our heavenly Father and also our Messiah and other believers.There will be no more sin or any of its miserable effects there, only light and all the joys of righteousness. When I get discouraged, I read the back of the book.

Having said this, we need to focus on the deep things of light and not the deep things of darkness. All the fear producing events taking place in the world today, true though they may be, only cause man's hearts to fail them for fear. Keeping our eyes on our Messiah brings peace, trust and rest. There is only so much we can do to turn things around in our country and the world. If after praying, you feel called to support a given cause, such as campaigning for a specific candidate, do so. But remember, the final outcome is in our heavenly Father's hands. We are to occupy while on earth, but our focus should never be on world events, but our Messiah.

Even our Savior at times discussed the things of darkness and exposed the enemy and his dirty works, but he focused on the things of light. He said and did only those things he heard his Father saying and doing (light), healing and setting people free, preaching about the Kingdom and it's rules, his every word and action showing us what the Father is like and drawing us to relationship with them. After a most refreshing talk about the deep things of light with a special brother, the thought struck me that we can either focus on the deep things of light or those of darkness. Out of that thought came this poem.

THE DEEP THINGS OF DARKNESS

Created for intimate relationship,
Close family fellowship,
Nothing else satisfies,
Satiates the hunger,
Fills the void,
Even though we relentlessly search,
Sadly,
Way to often,
Deceived by the enemy,
Driven to fill the void,
Puffed up,
We seek wisdom,
But in the wrong places,
Instead of focusing on truth,
The deep things of light,
Desiring to expose evil,
We focus on it,
Whether true or not,
The deep things of darkness,
Don’t focus on relationship,
Make us paranoid,
Fearful and depressed,
Have the enemy’s signature,
The deep things of light,
Focus on  relationship,
Bring peace,
Trust and rest,
Have our Savior’s signature!