He Is Coming With The Clouds .
Revelation 1:7 (NIV)

Look, he is coming with the clouds,and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him; and all the peoples of the earth will mourn because of him. So shall it be! Amen.

I received this verse in my daily email subscription. Any time I read anything from Revelation, I go to one resource or another to try to comprehend the meaning. Well, 20 minutes later, I'm back at the computer! I was tempted to switch to another verse that might be considered more uplifting, but decided against it as this is obviously the verse I am intended to study today.

My Bible Readers Companion spends a couple of pages talking about the various interpretations of Revelation. Throughout history scholars have considered it prophecy about the end times, but disagreed about whether or not it was literal or figurative. Well, if you know anything about me, I could spend days-even weeks-studying just that argument!

Ultimately I decided that mankind spends a great deal of time debating scripture! We dissect it and analyze it and put it all in historical perspective and beat it to death until it resembles what we think it says--or want it to say.

As our Sunday school class has spent the last several months studying the parables of Jesus, we have discovered that those parables are timeless. With only the slightest explanation of the context--eliminating the context as a distraction--we can very clearly understand the message of Jesus today.

This verse is pretty clear to my mind: WE are the ones who pierced Him. Not only those who placed Jesus on the Cross, but all of mankind, throughout past and future history! Every time we sin against God, we become-again and again and again--one of those who added to Christ's burden.

He became God's offering to us and yet we are the ones who should be offering ourselves up to Him. The mourning in this verse speaks very loudly and clearly to me: I will mourn a thousand years at the end of time before I can even work up the courage to look God in the eye. I will grieve so deeply, my sorrow and distress at my own sinful nature will pour over me like a waterfall or an avalanche.

When we get to heaven we still won't be able to grasp the beauty and power of God. Even in His presence--or should I say especially in His presence--we will be overwhelmed. Yes, we will mourn because of Him--that we caused the need for His sacrifice; that we forget His sacrifice; that we defy His sacrifice.

Jesus gave up divinity to walk among us. I don't think we'll fully grasp the enormity of His sacrifice until we glimpse it for ourselves in heaven.

My prayer today is that you remember God's gift to each of us. And that you offer grace to everyone you meet.

Mary

Labels: grace, Jesus, mary moss, Revelation, worship for the weekday

  ¶ 6:39 AM

  Scuttlebutt, Refreshment and Gossip .
According to ezines@arcamax.com: scuttlebutt (noun) - 1 : A drinking fountain on a ship. 2 : A cask on a ship that contains the day's supply of drinking water. 3 : Gossip; rumor. Scuttlebutt comes from scuttle, "a small opening" + butt, "a large cask" -- that is, a small hole cut into a cask or barrel to allow individual cups of water to be drawn out. The modern equivalent is the office water cooler, also a source of refreshment and gossip.

The soldiers therefore came and broke the legs of the first man who had been crucified with Jesus, and then those of the other. But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. Instead, one of the soldiers pierced Jesus' side with a spear, bringing a sudden flow of blood and water. [John 19-32-34]

who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ [1 Peter 3:21-22]

I know . . . scuttlebutt doesn’t seem an appropriate word to be included in a devotional! I hope I’ll be able to explain how this devotion developed. I slept in this morning and did not have my full time before work to sip coffee, pray, check email and go through my normal morning routine. I did, however, intentionally save the daily “word a day” email I received when I read what the word was. I get it: you’re not satisfied with my explanation yet!

What occurred to me this morning is how fascinating words are—and how important. The origin of words has always been of great interest to me; I assume it is part of my crazy compulsion as a writer. Water. It’s just a word. Refreshment is certainly a word one would commonly associate with water. Gossip? Well, it might be a stretch to associate the two words, unless you do think of the office water cooler example.

In ancient times the equivalent of the water cooler was a town well or nearby stream or river. Women walked together to the town well or stream every day to draw water into jugs to carry home for cooking and cleaning. As they walked, they also took advantage of the opportunity to get caught up on all the gossip, or to start some of their own.

Water also calls to mind floods, especially lately, with the triple threat of hurricanes across the southern coast of the U.S. Noah’s Ark comes to mind as well. John baptized Jesus with water in the Jordan River. Jesus used water to wash the feet of His disciples. Water-mingled blood poured out of the dead body of Christ on the Cross.

Scuttlebutt is what we are interested in and participate in when we live of the world. We are “of” the world when the day to day activities of “famous” people becomes an obsession, when we watch the predicted course of Hurricane Ike and begin to think that surely God intends to end the world again with water—in spite of His promise. Scuttlebutt is what was used to “legally” crucify Christ. Scuttlebutt goes on everyday in church congregations, in schools and offices, in warehouses and executive suites. Scuttlebutt is what distracts us from what is important in and to our lives.

When we live in the world and not of the world, we seek the refreshment of the Living Water. When we live in the world and not of the world, we thirst for the water Christ offered the Samaritan woman at the well the water that springs up into eternal life. In the world we often feel drenched and soaked through with the cares and worries of the world. We also remember that Peter began to sink in the lake when He took his eyes of Jesus.

When we live in the world and not of the world, we know that even when we feel we’re going under for the last time, when we’ve breathed out our last breath before drifting soundlessly to the bottom of the sea, Jesus will reach out to save us. He is to be our focus and our foundation.

On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified. [John 7:37-39]

My prayer today is that you remember He is the Living Water that springs up in us to eternal life. And that you come to Him and drink.

Mary

Labels: baptism, baptize, Cross, gossip, Holy Spirit, Jesus, John, living water, scuttlebutt, water

  ¶ 9:04 PM

  He is Worthy .
Isaiah 45:5-7

I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.

Revelation 4:9-11 NASB

And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, " Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed, and were created."


When we finally come face to face with God I’m pretty sure we won’t be able to look Him in the eye. One reason will be that we are so ashamed of ourselves. I don’t mean in a self-loathing, self-pitying way, rather as a result of our discovery of who and what God really is! The glory and grandeur will be so breathtakingly unbelievable that we will prostrate ourselves before him—in gratitude, in awe, in abject humility and reverence.

I’ve wondered what it would be like to stand before the throne of God. Many have wondered. One of my favorite songs is “Imagine.” The writer says he can only imagine what his heart will see. He wonders if he will fall to his knees in the presence of Christ. It’s a beautiful song and expresses, I think the wondering of all our hearts—our deepest, most ardent desire.

I imagine that upon arrival in heaven, our minds and hearts and souls will be transformed to those of Christ himself. We will understand all things and our understanding will surpass the limits of our current humanity. I’m rambling a bit this morning. I think what I’ve gleaned from these two passages is that God has already revealed himself to man. What I wonder is that how we can turn away, how we can forget His majesty, how we can NOT strive tirelessly and relentlessly to join Him at the end of time.

It’s all a puzzle to me! I spent a glorious 36 hours at the ocean last week. Much of my time I sat on the sand and gazed out at the ocean. I had no “burning bush” revelations or discoveries! I did though reconnect with the eternal source of life. I sloughed off the world of man and opened myself up to sea and sand, sun and air. I was revived and refreshed in my soul.

The tide comes in and goes out. Every day. Ever single day. No matter what. God planned it that way. He is that constancy. He is that assurance. He is the creator and master of it all. I felt very close to God as I sat in the sand and breathed in the salt air, watched the white caps, heard the crash of the waves on the beach. I felt at the same time very small and very significant. I am one of the living creatures God created! He planned me before he even called the ocean into being. He covets me. He longs for me.

My prayer today is that you take some time to experience God in nature. He will meet you there if you open your mind and your heart to his glory.

Mary

Labels: Christ, darkness, glory, God, heaven, honor, Jesus, light, nature

  ¶ 8:14 AM

  C’mon, God! .
2 Corinthians 4:6-11 6. For it is the God who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 7. But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. 8. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9. persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10. always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. 11. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus' sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

I think these verses are referring to the old adage, “God never gives us more than we can bear.” I don’t know about you, but I’ve doubted his wisdom in that regard more than once! I think sometimes his confidence in me is misplaced and mistaken! I do believe God is both wise beyond my comprehending and merciful beyond measure, but I admit I pause every so often, raise my eyes to the heavens and protest “C’mon God. Enough, already!”

I readily admit this because a friend of my agreed with my response a few days ago. She and I have had some similar challenges in our lives recently and so have shared some of the same battles of spiritual warfare. The very fact that she and I have someone else with whom we can share our sense of being overwhelmed and feeling ill-equipped for our current circumstances is reason to be hopeful and even comforted. We are part of a faith community together. We have a built-in support system because we belong to the same church.

So I wonder how does one deal with disappointment, discouragement, even anger and grief if they have no one with whom they can express their feelings. I recently was overcome with regret and disappointment regarding a particular situation. It overtook every aspect of my life. My best friend shared with me that she was concerned about the source of my uncharacteristic responses to situations and events. What was the root? What was causing me to view the world so harshly? Why was I so unsettled? Why did I feel so put upon and disgruntled?

The truth was, I felt as if God had let me down. I felt I had done my part to bring about a positive conclusion, but ultimately I doubted if I had done enough; doubted whether my efforts had been enough. Notice a pattern here? My efforts, my doing, my, my, me, me. It’s so easy to get to that point when we have a bad day, piled on top of an issue or situation we’re struggling with. Then something else comes along that throws a monkey-wrench in the whole works. It doesn’t matter the situation. We’ve all experienced those situations where we have invested time and energy, in some cases sweat and tears, only to have someone say, “Oh, I can make that right.”

What? Where was this person all along? Why wasn’t this option presented earlier? Why? Why? “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us.” Get over it! God’s plans are not always evident! Look at the life of Job? He lost everything—absolutely everything. God restored his life, gave him a new family, wealth and land and abundance that far exceeded his original life. No, he never stopped remembering his past life. Job would always miss the family he lost. That didn’t stop him from celebrating his current blessings.

I think that is the lesson. We can look back with regret, sadness, even anger. But when we do that we miss the blessings of today. Worse, we lose hope for the future. God assures us that He has a plan for us. He will take every pain, disappointment, regret, sin and event and make them into something good, powerful, reason for rejoicing. We can rejoice not because we forget, but because we remember and then realize God was in it all! And He is in our future.

"We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9. persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; 10. always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.”

My prayer today is that you turn over all your regrets and disappointments to the God who restores us. And that you look to the future – where Christ won for you a place in heaven.

Mary

Labels: Christ, despair, future, God, grief, heaven, Jesus, regret

  ¶ 9:22 AM

  Holy and Beloved .
Colossians 1:9-109. For this reason also, since the day we heard [of it], we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10. so that you may walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please [Him] in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Colossians 3:12-1312. And so, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13. bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.

Have you ever taken a job or agreed to lead a committee or organize a function only to realize you were in way over your head? Paul apparently never felt that way when he was bringing others to Christ! In his letter to the Colossians, he takes great care spelling out what kind of lives believers should be living. He doesn’t claim to live like this absolutely, but he certainly tried harder than most at that time or since. He was so grateful for his conversion, he dedicated literally every moment of his life and every ounce of energy working to encourage others to accept God’s amazing grace, manifested in Jesus.

Paul prays for the Colossians to “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit n every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;” This is what God expects of us as well. That’s a pretty tall order in my book! Paul is painstakingly clear on what qualities one acquires and demonstrates when one is living a life worthy of the Lord. To my mind, rather than get better, the detailed explanation of those qualities make it even harder!

I don’t have a problem ticking off each of the qualities listed in the second scripture passage. I do try to be compassionate, kind, humble gentle and patient. Of course, once I leave the house in the morning I often have trouble remembering this list! In all honesty, once I get out bed, I forget it all too often! But notice Paul uses a particular tense; he doesn’t want us to be compassionate, he wants us to be compassion. He doesn’t tell us that we are to be kind and humble, but rather we will be kindness and humility. When people look at us and how we live our lives, Paul prays they will see these qualities manifested in us.

Being a Christian is hard. God expects us to exude forgiveness, patience, gentleness, humility, kindness and compassion, just as Christ surely did. Exude means to project or display conspicuously or abundantly; radiate. Do you radiate these qualities? Have you abundantly manifested these characteristics in your life? Is your heart so full of gratitude and reverence that the world can easily identify you as “different”?

But there’s more! Not only are we to possess these qualities and to live them out each and every day, we are also required to bear fruit and increase in the knowledge of God! Now that’s really pushing the envelope, don’t you think? I guess if we spent all of our time and energy and resources toward accomplishing this kind of life and lifestyle, we wouldn’t have time for anything else! Well . . . God is a jealous God. He doesn’t want anything else in our lives! He wants us to work to bring about His kingdom on earth. And even tells us how. We just need to figure out how to be a little less human and a little more divine. No small feat.

This truth is why it’s so important to belong to a small group or a community of believers. We all need support, encouragement, direction and correction. Who better to walk with us than another believer striving to bear fruit and increase in the knowledge of God? Who are your friends? Who do you socialize with? Who do you work with? That’s where we start to do God’s work, both by influence and direct action. We attempt to live a worthy life so that others will see how they can gain access to the kingdom. By exhibiting all the qualities we’ve discussed, we leave the door open from someone to ask us, what is the source of our strength and joy? How do we do it? How can we in light of everything bad in the world?

Our answer? We are each chosen by God, holy and beloved, made in his image. He loves us so much he sent Jesus to die on the Cross. That’s we need to say. That opens the door. The Holy Spirit will determine whether or not your questioner enters.

My prayer today is that you remember you are holy and beloved. And that you are conspicuously kind, gentle, humble, patient and compassionate with yourself and everyone you meet.

Mary

Labels: Christ, compassion, gentleness, God, Holy Spirit, humility, Jesus, kindness, patience

  ¶ 6:24 AM

  God’s Good, Pleasing and Perfect Will .
Romans 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is-His good, pleasing and perfect will.

1 Corinthians 2:12

We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit who is from God, that we may understand what God has freely given us.

One of the first prayers many young children learn is the Lord’s Prayer. “Our Father Who Art in Heaven, Hallowed Be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done. On Earth as it is in Heaven.” The Bible tells us this is the prayer Jesus taught the disciples when they asked him how they should pray. This model follows the instructions of these two verses. I guess I should say, once this prayer was introduced, the disciples preached based upon the prayer.

Thy Kingdom Come: God’s Kingdom – Heaven – Not this world. Thy Will Be Done: God’s will – not man’s, not what we think or want – what God wants for us. That’s how we are to live: in accordance with God’s will for us. In order to live in accordance with God’s will, though we need to know what it is! That can be tricky, because so often in our lives we are required to take the lead, to be in charge, to make a snap decision. Life is so fast-paced in our world today that we could be run over and left behind if we’re not on top of our game.

But God has a better way. He has amazing, unimaginable plans for abundance and blessings in store for us. He desperately wants to pour them out into our lives. We risk missing out on God’s will for our lives when we charge ahead, thinking with our heads rather than our hearts and our souls. If we never allow time for God to reveal his plans for us, we will trample right over them. God wants to renew our minds to His way of thinking and living. He’s not going to force it though; he waits for us to be open to His will.

That’s a lot of responsibility. That places the burden on us. Perhaps that’s why so often we just don’t “go there.” We feel so burdened and weighed down by the cares of this world that we just can’t or won’t take responsibility for one more thing. No matter how wonderful the end result could be, we just don’t have the energy to do one more thing in our lives.

What I repeatedly re-discover is that if I just stop for a few minutes and clear my mind of all the cares of this world I can begin to see the vision God has of me in my mind’s eye. When I go for a walk, or sit quietly reflecting on God’s word or reading scripture, my mind begins to be renewed. God reveals himself to us when we are fully open to Him and fully engaged in discovering His will.

When we set ourselves apart we have taken the first step in the transformation process. Getting in that habit will increase the likelihood that our decisions will be based on God’s will for our lives, not man’s.

My prayer today is that you have the opportunity to renew your mind so you can test and approve God’s good, pleasing and perfect will for your life. And that you make it a habit to spend time with God each day.

Mary

Labels: bible, future, God's will, heaven, Jesus, plans, scripture

  ¶ 6:22 AM

  Come Forth and Come Here! .
Zechariah 13:9

...I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on My name and I will answer them; I will say, "They are My people," and they will say, "The Lord is our God." -

If you aren’t familiar with the process of refining metals, this verse may not provide as much comfort and hope for you as it is intended to do. An unknown author told a story about a woman who was interested in learning how the refining process worked.

“She went accordingly and without telling the object of her errand, begged to know the process of refining silver, which he fully described to her. "But Sir" she said, "do you sit while the work of refining is going on?" "Oh, yes, madam," replied the silversmith; "I must sit with my eye steadily fixed on the furnace, for if the time necessary for refining be exceeded in the slightest degree, the silver will be injured. As the lady was leaving the shop, the silversmith called her back, and said he had forgotten to mention that the only way that he knows when the process of purifying is complete when he sees his own image reflected in the silver....”

Sometimes in our lives we may feel as if we are in that furnace of trouble, shame, fear, doubt, loneliness, grief or pain. During those times, it helps to remember that though we an the super-heated refiner’s fire, God has his gaze steadily fixed on that furnace. Dross is the waste that is burned off during the refining process. As the metal is heated the dross rises to the top and has to be removed by the metallurgist. God works the same way in our lives. He removes all the dross from our lives until we are a reflection of His Son.

Dan 3:12, 19-26

12. There are certain Jews whom thou hast set over the affairs of the province of Babylon, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego; these men, O king, have not regarded thee: they serve not thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up. 19. Then Nebuchadnezzar was full of fury, and the expression of his face was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. He ordered the furnace heated seven times more than it was wont to be heated. 20. And he ordered certain mighty men of his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace. 21. Then these men were bound in their mantles, their tunics, their hats, and their other garments, and they were cast into the burning fiery furnace. 22. Because the king's order was strict and the furnace very hot, the flame of the fire slew those men who took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. 23. And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell bound into the burning fiery furnace. 24. Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished and rose up in haste. He said to his counselors, "Did we not cast three men bound into the fire?" They answered the king, "True, O king." 25. He answered, "But I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they are not hurt; and the appearance of the fourth is like a son of the gods." 26. Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the door of the burning fiery furnace and said, "Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, servants of the Most High God, come forth, and come here!" Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego came out from the fire.

That fourth image in the furnace was Christ. And He is in our furnace with us. Even though it doesn’t feel like it, He is with us as the dross is burned off and scooped out and thrown away. And when He sees His own reflection transposed over ours, He calls to us to come forth and come here.

My prayer today is that you find peace in the truth that no matter what you are experiencing in your life, Jesus is walking through the fire with you. And that you wait with great anticipation for Him to call you to come forth and come her.

Mary

Labels: God, gold, Jesus, refiner's fire, silver

  ¶ 6:23 AM

  Multi-vitamins and Green Pastures .
Psalms 23:1-6

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want; he makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff, they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies; thou anointest my head with oil, my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Matthew 11:28-30

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me; for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

I guess I could have called to mind about 10 or so scripture verses that would apply to my situation this morning. What possessed me to forego my morning routine of meeting with God before I began my day for all those months? I am so out of that habit that when I logged on this morning my first impulse was to check my email. I stopped myself though, because at a minimum posting today is a matter of pride. At its core, it is the renewal of my part of a covenant with God.

I have been tired. I don’t mean sleep deprived, though that is true! I’ve been tired of breathing, walking, even thinking. Not in a suicidal or even a depressed way at all. I’ve just been worn out in my soul. I know it’s because I haven’t been turning enough over to God. I’ve been persevering, carrying on; maintaining the status quo. I’ve craved those still waters and green pastures. I have not lost my faith that God will provide for me, care for, sustain and love me. I had just stopped going to the next level: resting in him.

Enough of bewailing everything I haven’t been doing! This morning as I jumped from verse to verse, every single word of scripture sounded so beautiful and seemed so applicable to my life! Every one! I was blown away by how glorious the word of God sounded to me this morning and I realized that’s what I’ve been missing: relishing scripture, being enfolded and embraced and empowered by it. I guess the best way I can describe it is that scripture for my life is like a multi-vitamin for my body. I can get by without the extra nutrients and minerals but after a couple of weeks, I don’t have that little extra that I need to walk the extra ½ mile or clean an extra room or do an extra load of laundry.

I know that sounds pretty mundane. But that’s why my discovery of what I was missing has been so elusive. Slowly, day by day, it becomes easier and easier to not do that little extra because I just don’t have that extra boost! In my case, the boost has been my mornings with God. Trust me, 5 a.m. came very early this morning!

On my way in for a 2nd cup of coffee I realized I’m rambling and really struggling to explain the subtleties of a life grounded in and centered upon Christ. I haven’t done a very good job and I know it’s because I’m out of the habit not only of experiencing it fully, also of sharing the glorious, wonderful, amazing, unspeakable depth of God’s love and the deep well of grace from which he allows us to drink, even when we don’t think we’re thirsty.

Today my prayer is that you will go to him, all who labor and are heavy laden. He will give you rest. And remember that no matter how hard your life is his yoke is easy and his burden is light.

Mary

Labels: God, Jesus, rest

  ¶ 6:11 AM