Your Password Is Incorrect

How many times a day are you asked for your password? We live in a world that requires a password for everything. Access to your smart-phone. Or to Facebook. Or to Twitter. Or to online banking. Or online shopping. Or to retrieve your voice mail. There's a password for everything.

Have you ever forgotten a password? Oh, the frustration! And if you forgot the password and you also forgot the answers to the security questions that would help you retrieve and reset the password........

It's a nightmare!

All that frustration reminds me once again how thankful I am that, when it comes time for me to enter Heaven, I won't need some combination of letters and numbers and special characters.

Because Jesus paid it all, and because I am in a personal relationship with Him, there is no other password needed. I will enter Heaven, as the old gospel hymn said, in the merits of Jesus who for sinners bled and died.  

No other password needed. Thank You, Lord!

"Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit."
(1 Peter 3:18 NASB)

Pay Attention!

“Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it."  

So begins the second chapter of the book of Hebrews in the New Testament.  

It is interesting that the writer begins the chapter with a term of conclusion. You may have heard your pastor or a Bible teacher point to this word therefore as a very important word; when you see the therefore, they may have said, you need to determine what it's there for.

What is it there for? What is the conclusion the writer of Hebrews is drawing as he begins this chapter? Remembering, of course, that the writer of Hebrews didn't actually write in chapters and verses; those were added later.

Therefore, he says, we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard. And what had the recipients of the letter, these Hebrews, heard?  Chapter One gives us the answer to that question. Long ago, the writer says, God spoke through prophets. But, he says, in these last days He has spoken to us by his Son. (Hebrews 1:2a ESV).

Then he goes on to tell them, and us, exactly who Jesus is:

• heir of all things
• the One through whom God created the world
• the radiance of God's glory
• the exact imprint of God's nature
• the One who upholds the universe by the word of His power.
• the One who made purification for sins
• the One who is now seated at the right hand of the throne of God

God has spoken to us through this One. Through Jesus. And because of who Jesus is, we need to pay attention. And not just pay attention, but pay much closer attention! The implication is, what Jesus has to say is important. Because Jesus is the radiance of God's glory. Because Jesus is the exact imprint of God's nature. Because God has spoken through Jesus.

And if we don't pay attention, what will happen?  We will be in danger of drifting away.

There's another danger as well. Verse 2 reminds us that throughout recorded history, there were consequences for those who didn't pay attention, who didn't heed the message of God. The conclusion is, since that is true, what makes us think we will be any different? How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation? (Hebrews 2:3)

In a devotional reading titled "Drifting from the Word", Dr. Charles Stanley writes: "Drifting begins subtly and usually includes compromising the principles found in God's Word. No one is immune from drifting. All of us have felt the temptation to let our devotion slide so as not to become too serious. However, Jesus gave up everything to come to earth and die in our place. We have eternal life because He took the principles of His father seriously. By His grace we are saved and set free from sin. Once realized, this should be enough to curb any notion of drifting. Anchor your life in the Word of God and you will not drift."

That's what the writer of Hebrews is saying to us. Pay attention to what [you] have heard. God has given us His Word. He has spoken to us through Jesus. We have that message contained in the Scriptures. We need to pay attention!  

Because God has spoken.

Because He has spoken in Jesus.

Pay attention.

One Gracious Blessing After Another

 

"From the fullness of His grace we have all received one gracious blessing after another." 

(John 1:16 NLT)

I've been thinking about grace this morning, and this verse has grabbed my attention. I've come across it in several different contexts already today, so it must be something I need to pay attention to!

Depending on which translation of the Bible you read, the verse might be rendered a little differently. Grace upon grace. Blessing upon blessing. One gracious blessing after another. I especially like that last one, from the New Living Translation. One gracious blessing after another.

That's so true, isn't it? We are showered daily with blessings from God. One gracious blessing after another.

Too often we fix our attention on the less-than-we-would-like-them-to-be situations in our lives. On the bills we're having trouble paying or the pounds we can't seem to lose or the illness or the frustration. That list could go on and on, because we all have "stuff" in life that fits the less-than-we-would-like category. Each of us faces challenges in our lives. Not all of us face the same challenges, but there are challenges for each of us.

Equally true, we are all showered daily with one gracious blessing after another, if we only took the time to notice.

Friendship. Family. Laughter. Sunshine. Rain. The smell of freshly mown grass. The companionship of a pet. Coffee. Good books. Good conversation. Good food. Good neighbors. Time spent with a special friend. The list could go on and on.

One gracious blessing after another.

How about you? Where are you focusing your attention today? On the less-than-you-would-like-it-to-be situations in your life, or on all those gracious blessings?

Something to think about.

"Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless His holy name.  Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits."  (Psalm 103:1-2)

Remembering September 11, 2001

Twenty years have passed since that awful day. Every September 11 we remember. And tomorrow is that day again. The day that still makes my heart ache. That makes me almost ill. The day our world changed.

For those of us who were alive on that day, those events are burned into our memories. Where were you on that awful day? I remember it vividly. On that Tuesday morning, as on every Tuesday morning, I was heading to church. Tuesday was the day for Ladies Bible Study in the morning and staff meeting in the afternoon. We were planning to begin a new study on that morning, and as I had been preparing the introductory session, my thoughts had been focused on Psalm 62, specifically on verses 7-8: "On God my salvation and my glory rest; the rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us." As the day progressed, I found myself holding on to those verses.

I walked into the family room just minutes after the first plane had hit. Our son Brian, who had just gotten home from his job at UPS, was watching TV before heading upstairs to bed. We both stared at the TV in disbelief. And then we watched as the second plane hit. On my way to the church, I heard the news about the Pentagon on the car radio.  

Our Bible Study that morning turned into a brief time of prayer, after which I sent the ladies back home. Our staff meeting was cancelled. The pastor and I met briefly to talk through preliminary plans for the following Sunday worship service, and then he sent me home.

Life as we knew it changed forever on that day. I remember well the shock and the grief and the numbness that followed for so many days. For many those feelings are repeated each year as we mark another anniversary and as we see those horrible events replayed over and over and over on television.

Life changed on that day. We've grown accustomed to taking our shoes off at the airport and to having our purses and backpacks inspected. Sadly, we're no longer surprised by acts of violence. 

But not everything has changed. It is still true that "my refuge is in God." I still grieve with and for those families who lost so much on that day just because their family member went to work that morning.

I still grieve for the families of first responders and military personnel who, on that day and in the years that have followed, paid the ultimate sacrifice. I am still grateful for men and women who put their lives on the line every day to protect the freedoms we enjoy as Americans.

Even more, as I reflect on the ways that life has changed, I cling to this unchanging truth:
"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble. Therefore we will not fear." (Psalm 46:1-2)

A Few of My Favorites

I have loved books for as long as I can remember. From being read to by my parents, to the bookmobile on the corner of our street, to learning to read for myself and making countless trips to the library….books have been a big part of my life.

When I had my stroke almost five years ago, I thought my relationship with books had ended. Even after months of therapy which helped me learn to read and write again, reading just wasn’t the same. Reading had become stressful rather than pleasurable. Thankfully, that has changed over time. My therapist said it would, although I didn’t believe her. But she was right and I was wrong. And in the last year reading has once again become a source of great pleasure. 

As a result, I did a lot of reading over the summer. This morning I’m sharing a few of my favorites. I couldn’t decide how many to share, but I finally decided to give you the top 5. Here they are, in no particular order.

One of the books I read at the beginning of summer was Hope Between the Pages by Pepper D. Basham. Pepper has become one of my favorite authors, as you will see. The opening line of the book had me hooked: Any story that begins with a library is bound to be an excellent read. And it was! This is a dual timeline story set in and around the Biltmore Estate. It’s a delightful part history, part romance with Christian elements woven throughout.

Another favorite, also from Pepper Basham (I told you she’s a favorite!) is The Mistletoe Countess. This is  an exquisite love story full of history and humor, with strong themes of hope and redemption. The characters are some of my favorites, especially Grace with her joy and enthusiasm and love of books. She even has red hair, so she will remind you a lot of Anne of Green Gables.

Bridge of Secrets by Kimberly Woodhouse was another favorite read this summer. This is another dual time line story set around the Golden Gate Bridge, at its construction and in the modern day, during a renovation. Both time lines are equally complex and compelling. This one is filled with mystery and intrigue.

Next on the list of favorites is The Cryptographer’s Dilemma by Johnnie Alexander. This is part of a series of novels celebrating heroines of World War II. Based on an actual FBI investigation, this one has cryptographer Eloise Marshall working with the FBI to uncover a Japanese spy ring. 

Trace of Doubt by DiAnn Mills is one I just finished a couple of weeks ago (right before Covid brought my life to a standstill!). I loved it! It was unputdownable! (I’m not sure that’s an actual word!) It’s a different style from the others I have mentioned. It starts with a bang and moves nonstop to it’s very unexpected ending. It’s fast paced with lots of twists and turns, with very interesting characters. This is Christian romantic suspense at its finest!

Because I had a hard time limiting myself to the self-imposed 5 favorites, I’m giving you a list of “honorable mentions”. They are worth checking out as well. To keep up with what I’m reading, you can follow me on Goodreads, or keep checking here, as I often post book reviews on this page.

Here’s the Honorable Mention List:

    Lady in Attendance by Rachel Fordham

    The Chase by Lisa Harris

    Present Danger by Elizabeth Goddard

In summer, I primarily read fiction, and save the “heavier” reading for the winter months. However, there is one nonfiction work I want to recommend to you. Even though I haven’t finished it yet, this is a powerful read. Voddie T. Baucham Jr is the author of fault lines, The Social Justice Movement and Evangelicalism’s Looming Catastrophe. As a Christian and a pastor who also happens to be a black man, Baucham offers a powerful perspective on the social issues we are facing. 

So there you have it….my summer reading favorites. And as usual, I have a pretty long “to be read” list! A never ending list!

What are some of your favorite reads? I would love to hear from you. 

Happy Reading!

Wasting Time

It may seem a bit counterintuitive to write a post about wasting time on a holiday when most of us likely will spend much of our day doing exactly that. Does it strike you as a bit odd that we celebrate work by not working? In any event, for most of us, on the last official holiday of the summer season, this is a day for doing not very much.

As we wind up this holiday weekend, it's time to be turning our thoughts toward fall. In some parts of the country, this is back to school week, although here in the South, we've been at that for almost a month now. No matter. Labor Day signals a shift toward fall. Away from the slower pace of summer and back toward regular routines. In theory at least, that would mean less time-wasting and more productive activity, which causes my mind to turn toward all the ways I waste time.

I'm certain I'm not the only one. We all manage to do some time wasting in one form or another. Watching too much television. Playing too many games. For me, that would mean too much time playing Words With Friends, a game I enjoy very much. It challenges me, and I've reached the age where mental stimulation is a good thing. Need to keep those brain cells working! Even when I'm in the midst of a terrible losing slump as I have been lately. Even when the game makes me feel really stupid. Even then it's still a good challenge. But I've been spending way too much time playing and not enough time doing other things I need to be doing, so I need to do a better job of limiting my time in the game.

Your time-wasting habits may be different than mine. Maybe you spend too much time in front of the television. Maybe you're spending too much time doing things you want to do instead of the things you need to do, or the things you are responsible to do. I'm fairly confident that each of us is doing [more than] our share of time wasting. And how sad that is!

We are given a limited number of hours in each day. A limited life-span on this earth. These times are gifts from a gracious God. How said that we so carelessly value the time we are given.  That is not to say that we shouldn't have time for relaxing; we should. But we must be careful not to let the relaxation time overshadow the other important things we should be doing. Sometimes relaxation is the most important thing. But not always!

I don't want to be a time-waster. I want to value and use wisely the time I have been given. That's what's on my mind this morning as we turn the corner from summer into fall.

"Teach us realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom." (Psalm 90:12 NLT) 

Already?

How is it possible that we are already in September? Summer has two bookends - Memorial Day and Labor Day - and here we are. Heading into the Labor Day weekend when it seems summer just started yesterday! 

In spite of it passing so quickly and ending so abruptly with our bout with Covid, we enjoyed a pleasant summer. Time with friends, a family vacation, a birthday, and lots of good books. I’ll share some of my favorites in another post. Today I’m thinking about how quickly time passes!

Today is already the 3rd day of September. The crape myrtles that line my street are losing their blooms. The apple orchards are open. We're beginning to see pumpkin everything - Cheerios, Peeps, and coffee creamer, to name a few - everywhere we turn. And it's time for some football! Go, Gamecocks!

I love September. There's a subtle change in the temperatures, which around here means mostly upper 80s instead of upper 90s. But hey, we'll take what we can get! And gradually we will move to lower humidity, a welcome change for us all.

All these signs point to one thing. It's time for fall, y'all!

I know fall doesn't officially make an appearance for about three more weeks. But turning the calendar page to September means it's that time again. Add in the fact that we're coming up on the Labor Day weekend, and it's as good as official.  

Fall has arrived. The signs are everywhere. You can't help but notice.

There are other signs that are obvious as well.

"But understand this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power."       (2 Timothy 3:1-6a NASB)

I'm certain you have noticed some of these things in our culture. They are just as obvious as the cooler air and the football season.

We can look at the calendar and know when fall arrives. We don't know exactly when Jesus will return, but as we look at these signs around us, we can't help but be aware the day is closer now than it has ever been.

Are you ready?