PASSPORT

 

 

 

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

 

 

 

I’ll be leaving for Spain in a few days.  One of our clergymen will be ordained at a church in Madrid, and several of us are going to represent our churches.  As always, I go down the check list of what I need for an international trip:  clothes, meds, reading material, and most important of all MY PASSPORT.

 

One of our missioners had spent months raising funds for a mission in Russia and was so excited to be making his first visit.  He was all packed and ready.  He was on time to meet the team at the counter, but when it was his time to check in, he discovered that he was lacking that important document:  he had left his passport at home, and there wasn’t time to get it and return for the flight.  Some things just can’t be overlooked.

 

Salvation is a little like a passport.  It’s that assurance that we get to our destination.  We can apply for the passport, but there’s no way we can earn it—it’s relational.  We get our passports by virtue of being citizens of this country, and we trust that the standing of our government is such that we have safe passage.

 

I’m so happy that I don’t have to worry about whether I’m good enough or whether I’ve done enough.  Jesus, in his perfect obedience and love of the Father, made provision for my journey and for my final welcome.  He’s even provided for companionship on the way and grace for the turbulence.  We don’t have to worry about losing baggage—in fact, we’re better off without any.

 

I’ll be leaving for Spain in a few days, and my passport is already sitting beside my suitcase.

 

 

 

Father, we are eternally grateful for your divine generosity in providing everything we will ever need through Christ Jesus.  AMEN.

 

ARMORED UP

Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.  Ephesians 6:11

 

 

This morning in chapel the Bishop gave a whole new twist to the analogy of God’s armor.  Remember, there’s the helmet of salvation, the belt of truth, the breastplate of righteousness, shoes of peace, and the sword of the Spirit, God’s Word.

The helmet of salvation guards our thoughts and protects the mind so that it processes and applies God’s truth.  We typically wear belts around the middle parts of our bodies for aesthetic and practical reasons.  Truth is both beautiful and holds all our theology together.  A breastplate, righteousness, protects our hearts from all the things that can spoil and destroy the life of Christ within.  We walk in peace as God’s children, and God’s Word, the sword, is two-edged—both protecting and reprimanding us.

When we are children, we love to play dress-up.  My granddaughters have all enjoyed taking various pieces of clothing from my closet and dressers to play grown-up.  They imitate me and their mothers.  Play is a child’s work to help in developing character traits and personality.  When our children and grandchildren wear our clothing, they are processing through play what they will become.

So here we get to the armor.  The whole object of our Christian journey is to glorify God and to become like Jesus.  How better to do that than to dress like him?  Jesus IS our salvation, our truth, our righteousness, our peace and has taught us to use that sword in growing into his likeness.  The more we wear the armor, the more it becomes like a second skin, and the more we become like Jesus.

The armor of the Lord not only helps us to stand against the wicked intentions of the devil, but it assists us in being transformed more and more into the image of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.  If you’re not wearing it, stop everything, and go put it on right now.

 

 

Father, show us the joy that awaits us as we are changed into the likeness of your Son, Jesus Christ.  AMEN.

 

10 REASONS

But now is Christ risen from the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept.  I Corinthians 15:20  (KJV)

 

 

As this Holy Week ends on the high note of Resurrection, I have listed ten reasons I give thanks for everything Jesus’ resurrection means to me:

 

1. It lends credibility to everything Jesus said and taught.
2. It proves he is the living Son of God.
3. It informs his suffering and death on the cross for our salvation, healing, and freedom.
4. It is the foundation of our faith.
5. It gives me hope that I, too, will some day be resurrected to eternal life in him.
6. It ensures our righteousness in him and right-standing before God.
7. It demonstrates our future transformed body.
8. The Spirit of God that raised Jesus from the dead now lives in me.
9. The last enemy, death, no longer has power over us.
10. I am now empowered by God’s Spirit.

 

 

Father, Lent and the reminder of our human frailty is past.  We now can walk in resurrection life through Jesus Christ and his sacrificial death on the cross and his resurrection by your mighty power.  Help us to apply all that means to every day of our lives.  In his name.  AMEN.

NO RETRACTIONS

Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift! II Corinthians 9:15 (KJV)

My friend Philippa was given a beautiful necklace for Christmas. Today I learned that the giver asked her to return the gift; it was far too expensive. Instead, she would be given something much cheaper. I discovered that the donor has a history of reclaiming gifts that were given “by mistake”.

We are all offered a wonderful gift, eternal life, by someone who, in contrast, has a reputation for generosity. Not only is the gift of incalculable worth, but the cost was beyond measure. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we become heirs to his kingdom and everything that accrues to him as God’s Son.
And he never takes his gifts back.

You may be horrified at Philippa’s story, as I was, but I wonder if we are as callous in our disregard of the precious gift we have in Jesus? Does gratitude propel us to thanksgiving and prompt us to tell others about this treasure?

Dearest Father, may we never forget your love in giving us Jesus and may we never lose our sense of joy in possessing this Pearl of Great Price. Amen.