Nothing Hidden

I wrote this journal entry on July 13, 2009 at 2:20pm under the title, "The Things I Want No One to Know". A bit of personal revelation. Thought I'd retitle and reshare...


Luke 8:16-17 — “No one lights a lamp and hides it in a clay jar or puts it under a bed. Instead, they put it on a stand, so that those who come in can see the light. 17 For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.

It's a piece of scripture I have heard since I was a child. I sang "This little light of mine. I'm gonna let it shine...". Funny thing is that I just now truly understand what this verse is about. I've heard and read this scripture all my life and thought I understood it. But, a light bulb (sorry for the pun) came on in my mind and I realize that I understood only the way our enemy wanted me to understand it.


I always thought this scripture was about the good news (the light) of Christ (which it is). But, I also thought the part about "all that is secret..." to mean MY secrets, my inmost secret sins, the things I want no one to know. Well, maybe it is about that but maybe it also means more. Keep reading.


Even the enemy uses God's word to accuse and cause us to live in fear and shame. Here is the difference: God does not accuse. Satan does. So how could I think God would accuse me with His own word? Simple...He wouldn't.


But our enemy lies to us in very subtle ways. He makes the truth – which is the line separating "black from white" or "right from wrong", and makes it blurry. So it's sort of gray and not clear. When things are unclear we become unsure and then doubt and accusation creep in.


Here is what I see now....

"For all that is secret"... not MY secrets but...the secret of heaven, the secret of eternal life, the secret power of Jesus' resurrection is made known. Heaven will open and all of it's secrets (which are light) will enlighten us, will wash everything, will bathe everything in perfect light so we can see, believer and unbeliever alike. The gates of the kingdom of God will be spread apart shedding it's whitest-white light on all that is unknown. At the same time the gates of hell will be destroyed forever. Nothing can be concealed; everything revealed. Everything will be compelled to proclaim the truth of who Christ is...king of all heaven and earth. Everything will shout, "Jesus you are who you claim to be! You are faithful!"

If we believe this, how can keep it to ourselves?

Catchy little tune isn't it? "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine..."

Our Messy Lives

(Adapted from Jim Parnell’s “Weekly Word”

The Savior—yes, the Messiah, the Lord—has been born today in Bethlehem, the city of David! ~ Luke 2:11 (NLT)

Today when our children are born, we prepare for months ahead. But on the night that Jesus was born, his parents, Joseph and Mary, could not prepare. There was no time! They had to flee Nazareth! Cruel King Herod was searching for and murdering all of the Jewish children because he was afraid of the coming of the Messiah.

Jesus, the Lord of lords - the King of kings, was present when God created the universe.  It's amazing that he was born in stable in the tiny village of Bethlehem. In a barn! It was full of common farm animals.

But Jesus knew long ago that he would be born in these conditions. He wasn't repulsed by it - he didn't think it was beneath his status as the Son of God

Bethlehem, on the day of Jesus birth, was overcrowded with people. Thousands of people had returned for the census that was commanded by Caesar. It was dirty. The air smelled of animal dung, smoke from cooking fires. The sounds from the marketplace filled the streets. Weary from traveling, Joseph and Mary passed by late in the evening. No one even noticed.

Not the smell, not the confusion, or the lack of preparation for his birth - none of these things kept God from wanting to enter into the world. Think about the day when God first entered your life. If you're like me, then your life was a disaster too. In fact, there is still a lot of cleaning up to be done in my life.

How amazing that he has never been repulsed by the imperfect state of our lives! It's as true today as it was on that brilliant, starlit night when Mary gave birth to our Savior – in a common stable!

You don't have to be perfect to accept God's love. You only have to be willing to let God accept your messy life - just the way it is. Then He can begin to change your heart.

Prayer: Holy Child of Bethlehem, we open our hearts to you. Be born in our heart's today. Amen.

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От Луки 2:11 - Потому что сегодня в городе Давида родился ваш Спаситель — Христос, Господь

Наша несовершенная жизнь.

В наше время к рождению детей готовятся за месяцы вперед. Но в ту ночь, когда родился Иисус, Его родители, Мария и Иосиф, не могли подготовиться. Просто не было времени! Им нужно было убегать из Назарета! Жестокий царь Ирод разыскивал и убивал всех еврейских детей из-за страха, что Мессия таки придет.

Когда Бог творил Вселенную, Иисус - Господь господствующих и Царь царей был там. И удивительно, что Он же был рожден в хлеву в малюсеньком городке Вифлеем. Он родился в хлеву! Там, где жили животные.

Иисус давным-давно знал, что Ему предстоит родиться в таких условиях. Но Его это не остановило – Он, Сын Бога, не посчитал это унижением для Себя.

Вифлеем, в день рождения Иисуса был переполнен людьми. Люди шли туда по приказу Цезаря, для переписи.

В городе было грязно. Воздух был пропитан запахом навоза и костров. Базарный шум не смолкал на улицах. Уставшие от путешествия Иосиф и Мария, добрались до города только к вечеру. Но никто даже не обратил внимания. Ни запах, ни смятение в городе, ни отсутствие подготовки к Его рождению не остановили Бога на пути в этот мир.

Вспомните тот день, когда Господь впервые вошел в вашу жизнь? В случае со мной - жизнь была катастрофой. И даже сегодня остаются вещи, нуждающиеся в изменении. Как удивительно, что несовершенство нашей жизни не стало препятствием для Бога! И это правда!

Это было правдой в ту чудесную звездную ночь, когда Иисус, наш Спаситель появился на свет в хлеву, это остается правдой и сегодня. Вам необязательно быть совершенным, чтобы быть способным принять Божью любовь. Все что нужно - это полностью довериться Богу с нашими достоинствами и недостатками. Тогда Он сможет начать производить перемены в наших сердцах.

Молитва: Святое Дитя Вифлеема, мы открываем наши сердца для тебя. Родись в наши сердца сегодня. Аминь.

How God Judges Sin (Courageous)

Recently, I watched the movie "Courageous."

The story is about four police officers attempt to put their faith in God after a sudden and unexpected tragedy transforms their lives forever.

Courageous is the story of two dedicated cops Adam Mitchell and Nathan Hayes and their partners. They are confident and focused while on the job keeping the streets safe. But when these devoted peacekeepers face the challenge of fatherhood, both their faith and devotion to family are put to the ultimate test. They consistently strive for excellence at being police officers. But as a fathers, they are satisfied with only being "good enough" - not "excellent". It seems that in fatherhood it's OK to aim at a lower mark. But they quickly discovering that their standard is too low.

In the aftermath of a catastrophe (the accidental death of Adam's 9 year-old daughter, Emily), they are faced with a difficult choice that will ultimately help to define their lives. Fortunately, a wise mentor appears to help them understand that man's ambition and God's will aren't always in perfect harmony. They are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, and their faith, and their skill at fathering. They feel a sense of urgency to draw closer to God and to their children.

They begin to study in the Bible that God desires to turn the hearts of fathers toward their children, but their children are beginning to drift further and further away from them. As fathers, how can they find a way to serve and protect those that are most dear to them?

While watching, I found myself (on the inside) crying, laughing, and cheering - sometimes simultaneously - as they are inspired by everyday heroes who long to be fathers that make a lifelong impact on their children.

One of the heroes in the movie, Nathan Hayes, talks to a fellow cop about making mistakes. The younger man tries to justify his current bad behavior by saying that he’s done a lot of good things in his life. The excerpt below is a good illustration of how God judges sin.

(Clip) http://youtu.be/w_ympKXmC6c

[Nathan Hayes ] Suppose your mom was brutally attacked, and murdered in a parking lot. The guy who committed the crime was caught and put on trial. The guy says, "Hey judge, I've committed this crime, but I've done a lot of good in my life, too. If the judge let him go free, would you say he was a good judge or a bad judge? ...because the Bible says that God is a good judge, and He will punish the guilty, not for what they did right, but for what they did wrong. Because He loves us, He sent his son, Jesus Christ, to take the punishment that we deserved, and put it on Himself, and that's why He died on the cross. But it only applies, if you accept it. That's why I asked for his forgiveness. I asked Him to save me. And I'm a new man because of Jesus Christ. Do you understand what I'm telling you? If so, then what's holding you back? We cannot assume that God will give us a pass on our bad actions because we have done good in our lives. Sure, people make mistakes, but we have to strive to be better in everything we say and everything we do.

"Предположим, что на вашу маму было совершено жестокое нападение, и её убили на парковке. Парень, который совершил преступление, был пойман и предан суду. Парень говорит:" Эй судья, я совершил это преступление, но я сделал и много добра в моей жизни тоже. Если судья отпускает его, чтобы вы бы сказали, он хороший или плохой судья? ... и Библия говорит, что Бог - хороший судья, и Он накажет виновных не за то, что они сделали правильно, но за то, что они сделали неправильно. Потому что Он любит нас, Он послал своего сына Иисуса Христа принять наказание, которое мы заслужили, и он принял всё на Себя, и именно поэтому Он умер на кресте. Но это только действует, если вы принимаете его как своего Спасителя. Вот почему я попросил у него прощения. Я попросил Его, чтобы Он спас меня. И я теперь новый человек. Ты понимаешь, о чём я тебе говорю? Если так, то что вас сдерживает? Мы не можем предположить, что Бог простит нам наши дурные поступков , потому что мы сделали много хорошего в нашей жизни . Конечно, люди совершают ошибки , но мы должны стремиться быть лучше во всём, что мы говорим и что мы делаем..."

There are 143 million orphans in the world. Learn what YOU can do to fill the most pressing needs of orphans in Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus. Filling the Gap.

James 1:17 - He never changes

Whatever is good and perfect comes down to us from God our Father, who created all the lights in the heavens. He never changes or casts a shifting shadow. ~James 1:17

My friend Igor in Ukraine and I have been studying this verse from James this week. As I meditated on these verses, I came to this conclusion: God is good! He doesn't just act or behave in a good way. He is made of goodness, mercy, and love. It is his nature to give of Himself (goodness and perfection) to us. We don’t deserve his goodness and mercy. However, He continues to give and give and give.

God created the universe and everything in it - all of the stars, planets, and our sun and created life here on earth. He gave us life. However, life in this universe is limited. Our lives are limited. We are born and one day our physical bodies die. The same is true for the stars - they don’t live forever.

On a cold, clear winter night, go outside and look up at the stars. You will see even the brightest stars become dim just for a moment and return to full brightness. These heavenly bodies have lasted for billions of years. I can’t imagine how long that is. But the stars in the heavens, even our sun, will eventually burn out and fade.

However God’s very being lasts forever. His personality is the same always. His love and goodness, and mercy never shift or fade.

Prayer: Thank you God for a love that never fades or changes. Thank you for the gift of eternal life for those who believe and follow your only son, Jesus. May your goodness and mercy shine through us to a world that needs you so desperately. Amen.

 

Якова 1 :17 – Он никогда не меняется.

Все добрые и совершенные дары – свыше, потому что исходят от Создателя Небесных светил, который не изменяется, как меняется тень.

Мой друг Игорь и я, изучали этот стих из Якова всю неделю. В своих размышлениях на этот стих я пришел к заключению: «Бог всемогущ, Он не просто творит или делает что-то хорошее, Он создатель добра,  милости и любви. Это в Его природе отдавать нам Себя в добродетели и неизменной праведности. Мы не заслуживаем Его доброты и милости, однако Он продолжает давать и давать нам их».

Бог создал вселенную и все в ней – звезды, планеты, наше солнце и жизнь на земле. Он подарил нам жизнь. Однако жизнь во вселенной ограничена. Мы родились и однажды наши физические тела умрут. Тоже самое происходит и со звездами – они не существуют вечно.

Холодным, зимним вечером, когда небо чистое, выйди на улицу и посмотри на звезды. Ты заметишь, что даже самые яркие звезды теряют свою яркость на мгновение, а потом снова светя во всю силу. Эти космические тела, возможно, существуют миллиарды лет. Я не могу представить как это долго, но, на самом деле, все звезды и даже наше солнце были рождены светить и погаснуть.

Только Бог –ВЕЧЕН. Он всегда неизменен. Его доброта, милость никогда не станут меньше или погаснут, как свет звезд.

Молитва: Спасибо Господь за любовь, которая никогда не перестанет и не изменится. Спасибо за дар вечной жизни для тех, кто верит и следует за Твоим единственным Сыном – Христом. Пусть твоя доброта и милость светит ярко через нас этому миру, который так нуждается в Тебе. Аминь!