KEY RB#2: WHERE ARE YOU GOING?

As we begin our new journey deeper into the Land of Abundant Life, I find myself frantically hunting through various compartments in my trusty, lavender vehicle for a road map.  Up until this time, the roadways have been laid out neatly and orderly with prominent signs.  Now I find myself at the start of a new path with many twists and turns.   I'm confused.  No one that I’ve met in this Land has given me any instructions or directions.  I don't know where I am going!

Another scary thought just occurred to me.  If I don’t know where I’m going . . . what my destination is . . . how am I supposed to get there?  All this time, I’ve wandered in the Land, experiencing new discoveries and pleasures . . . finding answers.  Yet, now that I am preparing to journey into the depths of the Land where I hope to discover hidden treasures of wisdom and insight, I am confronted with uncertainty and questions. Where am I going?  Which way do I turn?  How do I know I’m on the right road?  And exactly what is my destination?  
There really is no point in beginning to travel if I don't know where I expect to end my journey!

I remember as a child, my daddy always knew the right direction.  You could place him in the middle of a tall cornfield and he could tell you which way was north, south, east or west.  My mother, however, was just the opposite.  Although she was a very intelligent and competent woman, she could easily get lost because she didn’t have an inborn sense of direction.  Her best friend, Shirley, was also directionally challenged.  Since the two women were my primary role models, I grew up thinking that it was unfeminine to know where I was! 

I guess I’d better make a decision soon or I could just sit here forever clueless as to which way to turn.  But I can’t do this alone.  I need guidance from someone who has been deep into the Land, someone who knows the way.   

Isn’t it a shame that this well-built and classy-looking vehicle doesn’t contain a road map?  The only piece of literature in it is my Bible, which goes with me everywhere. 

Of course, that's it!  The Bible is my Road Map!  There is SomeOne who has gone ahead of me and SomeOne who knows the way.  God provided His Road Map, the Bible, to set before me a choice of destinations as I journey through Life.  And if I choose His Way, He will lead me every step along the correct route.

I realize now that I already made my choice of a destination when I entered the Land of Abundant Living.  By reading God’s Word, I learned that I could choose to proceed to the Kingdom of Light, ruled by God’s Son, Jesus, the Life-giver.  Or I could go to the Kingdom of Darkness, ruled by Satan, the Life-taker.  "For He delivered us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son."  Colossians 1:13
Come on, this is a no-brainer!  Why would I choose the dark kingdom where my life will be stolen from me?  Why on earth would anyone choose it above the Kingdom of Light?  And yet, so many people do that very thing. . . it doesn’t seem logical to me. 

Maybe some answers await me as I journey on.   

But once again, my mind is at rest.  I remember when I first entered the Land of Abundant Living, Christ met me at the Door and told me that the only way to enter was through the blood of Jesus, which He gave willingly on the cross because of the Father’s tremendous love for me.  So I am safe.   I have nothing to fear. I will follow God’s Road Map all the way to the Kingdom of Light. 

Fellow traveler  on the Road of Life, have you also been through the Doorway of Christ’s blood?  Have you made the decision of your destination as you travel through Life?  Have you confessed your sins against a holy, loving God and accepted His free gift that will transfer you from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light?  Will you join me in the Land of Abundant Living and travel towards the best Kingdom?

“. . . I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse.  So choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants.”  Deuteronomy 30:19b

Do YOU know where you are going? Do you know how to get there?

I hope you join me next week when we take the first road on our journey into the depths of the Land of Abundant Living!

KEY #E1: EASTER THROUGH GOD'S EYES

SEEING EASTER . . . THROUGH GOD'S EYES . . . (another writing from my Library Stacks)
It was the night before Easter.  I had spent the entire day in semi-frantic preparations for the holiday.  My house sparkled, clean and shiny like a new toy.  A chocolate cheesecake was cooling in the fridge along with brightly-colored eggs decorated by my youngest son, Joshua.
At ten years, Joshua is a budding artist.  He delights in using colors to create unique designs for the eggs.  He writes the name of a family member or relative on each one.
Sometimes we talk about names.  Joshua feels honored to have his special name.  He knows that "Jesus" is the Greek form of the Hebrew word, "Joshua," which means "the Lord saves."
When I dragged my weary limbs into bed that night and snuggled under the covers, I realized my mind needed redirecting.  Closing my eyes, I tried to focus on Christ and His resurrection, on the joy that comes with knowing Jesus as my Lord and Savior.
Drowsiness threatened to overtake when, unexpectedly, a horrifying image flashed into my mind.
It was a picture of Joshua.  His gentle, innocent face was covered with blood, rivulets of blood streaming down endlessly.
My eyes snapped open.  "Lord," I silently cried out in the oppressive darkness, "take this away.  I don't want a nightmare.  I can't look at this.  I want to think about Easter!"
Then I knew.  I knew that God was showing me the true image of Easter, through His eyes.  The image of His beloved Son, Jesus, whose holy and innocent face was covered with blood, rivulets of blood flowing down endlessly.
This was no brief vision to God.  No nightmare.  This was Reality.  The God of all creation made Himself look upon the agony and torment of His Son, the One who would pay the penalty of sin for the whole world.
I know that I would not be willing to give my son to die for anybody.  Yet God willingly chose to give His Son, Jesus Christ, to die for me . . .  and for you.


"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life."  John 3:16

KEY #A11: OPTIMAL OPTIMISM

I had a dream last night that was so amazing I have to share it with you!  I am not claiming that it was a vision or any special visitation from God, but it spoke to my heart and clarified things in my mind.
I was in a modern day courtroom and some undefined person was on trial.  During the session, the judge, an ordinary, yet professional-looking, man, stepped down from his bench and walked out to the middle of the room, turning to face the person on trial (who was in the witness seat) and began to sing, acapella (without music).  In a powerful, perfectly tuned voice he sang the lyrics to the old hymn "Saved by the blood of the Lamb."  (I didn't even realize I knew all the words to that song, but they must be buried in my subconscious!) 
       This is what I heard:  (Maybe you know the tune; it is an old hymn)
              "Have you been to Jesus for the cleansing power?
               Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
               Are you fully trusting in His grace this hour?
               Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?
               Are you washed in the blood, 
               In the soul cleansing blood of the Lamb?
               Are your garments spotless; are they white as snow?
               Are you washed in the blood of the Lamb?"
The KEY to the doorway in the Land of Abundant Life that I'm using today is for OPTIMAL OPTIMISM.  God's grace is what it is all about.  I tend to be a perfectionist, not in regard to other people.  I can accept and love others for who they are, but I am very tough on myself.  As a child, I tried hard to follow the rules (still do!), in my futile attempt to do everything the right way.  Which is one reason I battle frustration, when I don't live up to the imposing standards I set for myself.  And unfortunately this mindset carries over at times to my spiritual life.  I want to do everything right when I follow God, knowing at the same time that I am powerless to save myself, but get drawn into the false senerio that if I can somehow live the "right way" I'll please God more.
Which is utterly impossible!
I am saved only by believing, trusting in His unfathomable grace, His precious gift of His own blood spilt for me on the cross of Calvary.  I know this and have staked my life on this fact for many years, but I also need to remind myself that there is nothing I can do to cause Him to love me more, or value me more.
As a parent, I recall incidents when my children were young.  Sometimes they would get overtired and crabby, or even be downright disobedient (Yes, even my own wonderful children misbehaved at times.  It's hard for me to believe now since they all grew up to be terrific, thoughtful adults!)  But even when they were "out of sorts," my love for them didn't change one little bit.  God is better at loving than I am, so why would I expect less from Him?
My dream helped to clear things up in my mind and give me a further glimpse into the loving heart of God.  His love for us does not depend on anything we do or the state of our emotions.  "But God demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."  Romans 5:8
We are all on the witness chair . . . prisoners actually . . .  until we receive the fabulous gift that God offers us at Christmas  . . .His amazing sacrifice when He gave His only son . . . equally precious to Him as my own children and grandchildren are to me . . . (even more, because His love is perfect; mine is clouded by sin). . . . to set me free from the bondage of sin
                                      .  .  . the destiny of sin: an eternal future in hell
                                                .  .  . and a life of despair and futility, controlled by sin.
I hope that, if ever confronted with a situation where I could be given the opportunity to give my own life for another person, I would be willing to do so at the time.  But I know for a fact that I wouldn't send in my own son as a sacrifice!  And yet that is exactly what God did when He gave us His Son, Jesus, to die in our place,"to pay the debt He didn't owe because we had a debt we couldn't pay. " (author of quote unknown)
Today, I was only allowed a peek into the Door of Optial Optimism, because this room is where our future Hope resides.  Our "certain Hope," held securely in the loving hands of Christ, will be fullly revealed in Time, or rather at the end of Time as we know it.  I saw through the peekhole a kalidescopic of images, an assortment of visions . . . the original nativity scene,
          with Mary and Joseph kneeling besides the manger that contains the body of little Lord Jesus
          . . .  in the background a dimmed vision of the cross containing the body of our selfless Lord Jesus
                 . . . and further beyond that the image of our King Jesus as the clouds part and give way to the eventual second return to this earth of our magnificent Savior when "we who are alive and remain will be caught up . . . in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and thus we shall always be with the Lord." 1 Thessalonians 4:17 
Just think!  We who are living today may not even experience death!  Christ could return at any time to take His children home with Him.  And if I do die first, I'll go to be with my Lord in heaven forever!
Now isn't that OPTIMAL OPTIMISM???  Nothing I can do will save me or make God love me more than He already does!  I simply rest in the protective hand of Jesus, scarred by the nails and stained by His blood.  I live my under the shelter of His wings, learning to love Him more and more as I walk with Him day by day and let the freedom He gives bring me joy and inspire me to share the good news with other prisoners along life's roadway.
Have you read the last chapter of the Book?  I have!  And I found out that we win!  God is the victor over Satan and, as God's children, we get the privilege of sharing in the victory of our King!
I hope that today you also make sure that you are depending on the blood of Christ to set you free from sin and Satan's domination to walk hand in hand with Jesus day by day, depending on Him alone with hearts filled with thankful amazement for what He gave to make freedom possible for us.
Thank you, Abba (Daddy) Father, for rescuing me, for giving me an Abundant Life and a future filled with hope, to spend in Heaven with You and the ones I love that love You, too!