Saturday, July 12, 2008

The honored guest

Today’s Reading: John 13:26(NIV)

26 Jesus answered, “It is the one to whom I will give this piece of bread when I have dipped it in the dish.” Then, dipping the piece of bread, He gave it to Judas Iscariot, son of Simon.

Good morning!

Imagine you are sitting around a festive dining room table filled with all your favorite holiday foods, celebrating the season with your family and friends. The tone of the evening’s festivities has somehow shifted and the room has grown strangely silent. People are trying to avoid the one topic that has captured their undivided attention. Trying to hide your emotions behind the napkin placed squarely on your lap, you do not want anyone to know how you really feel about that deadbeat brother of yours. The honored guest at the table offers you his very best piece of pie, and you find yourself faced with a difficult decision. Will you wilingly let your animosity go and gladly accept this gift from him with joy? Someone’s secret sin is about to be revealed here at the table. Does he know how you truly feel? Can you not find forgiveness in your heart, especially at a special time like this?

I listened in hushed wonder as a pastor shared his personal encounter about his near-death experience. He told of the morning a car wreck nearly took his life. The night before, he had an argument with his spouse, and as he left for work the next day, he not only refused to speak to her, but continued to bear unresolved anger and bitterness in his heart. Pastor was distracted by his emotions, which may explain in part why he ran the red light at the crossroads of life. When his car hit the truck at full speed, traveling in the opposite direction, the pastor immediately watched his spirit man rise up above his mangled body inside the demolished automobile. He immediately saw himself in a place of total darkness. He could hear the anguished cries of men and women surrounding him, suffering in agony and intense pain. An angel appeared, pointing toward the dark abyss. “Is this hell?” the pastor asked, surprised at the scene unfolding before him. He was a believer in Jesus Christ and had preached the Gospel message of salvation his entire life. “How could this happen to me?” he asked the angel in sheer disbelief. He heard these words of condemnation he had not anticipated, “Because you have no forgiveness in your heart for your wife, if you were to die today, this would be your portion.” At this, the pastor prayed for one more chance to truly forgive, and he believes that his life was physically spared that day by the paramedics who worked to save his life, and spiritually by the Savior of all, who is Lord of our second chance.

Will your refusal to forgive the ones who have hurt you in this life keep you from being forgiven for all eternity? Are you willing to let go of the anger, the pain and the hurt you’ve carried all these years, allowing the Savior to heal your heart once and for all at the banquet table?

The honored guest has dipped the bread into the cup and he holds it out for you today. He is the Lord of the second chance. Will you accept His gift with gratitude or continue to hold unforgiveness in your heart? The choice is yours.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Who is it?

Today’s Reading: John 13:23-25(NIV)

23 One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to Him. 24 Simon Peter motioned to this disciple and said “Ask Him which one He means.” 25 Leaning back against Jesus, He asked Him, “Lord, who is it?”

Good morning!

Sometimes I miss seeing the obvious. Do you ever do this? When I have a project to do, I will focus all my energy on that project, determined to complete it. I’ve learned how to multitask out of sheer necessity, but my preference has always been to give my full attention to one thing at a time. I prefer to complete one task before moving to the next line item on my to-do list. It doesn’t work that way in my employment. From the moment I arrive until I walk out the door at the end of the day, I am there to answer questions and assist others, while completing my specific job duties so that my co-workers can do the work they are assigned to do. It is truly a team effort; yet, there are moments when it is not a smooth transition. Sometimes I get so focused on what I’m doing that I may miss seeing the obvious. It may be right in front of my nose, and I still couldn’t see it. How very frustrating!

Jesus knew who would betray Him, long before He entered His three year formal ministry. Jesus invited Judas into His intimate circle of friends, knowing he would be the one who would hand Him over to the Roman authorities. Still, Jesus offered Judas perfect love and committed friendship, as they walked together along the road of life. Jesus never gave up on him, even when Judas’ chose to act in disobedience. The disciples were so focused on their Lord and the work He had called them to do, that they missed seeing the obvious in one of their own people. They did not know who the Master was referring to in the Upper Room during their Last Supper with Him, and they wondered, “Is it I?”

We ask this question in times of human blindness. Maybe we are the ones betraying Christ, by our own selfish acts of pride or greed. Maybe we’re the Judas in the room, bent on seeing faith our way rather than God’s way. Maybe it’s our own willful disobedience that makes us the betrayer. We become so focused on our plan of action that we somehow miss out on recognizing His will for our lives. Is your lifestyle so inflexible and your schedule so busy that you would not answer the call from the Lord to pick up your cross and follow Him?

Lord, who is it?

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Monday, July 07, 2008

Freedom to choose

Today’s Reading: John 13:21-22(NIV)

21 After He had said this, Jesus was troubled in spirit and testified, “I tell you the truth, one of you is going to betray me.” 22 His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them He meant.

Good morning!

From the balcony of the Aldersgate United Methodist Church, I could see outside through the large windows at the top of their Family Life Center. I watched the people passing by the church in a big hurry on this beautiful, sunny Sunday morning. There were four large windows, each of them bearing a cross in its frame. The pastor’s words echoed throughout the room, “Today, we are declaring our total dependence upon Jesus Christ!” And as I listened, I saw lots of independent people asserting their freedom to choose, while driving their automobiles in the opposite direction from the church’s parking lot. I couldn’t help but wonder where they were headed. It was a long weekend – Americans were celebrating the Independence Day holiday in high style. Many had made plans with family and friends. Some of the SUVs and pickup trucks were pulling skiing boats and camper trailers behind them. I guessed they were probably headed to Lake Taneycomo for a day of frolicking in the sun. Sometimes, we all tend to leave the Lord of life behind as we place our personal priorities ahead of commitment to Christ and kingdom work. We leave Him hanging there on the cross while we do as we please, knowing He will be there waiting for us to come home. “Where were they going,” I thought to myself, disappointed these cars were not turning into the church parking lot to spend an hour thanking God for the freedom to choose.

I saw the smiling face of a happy little girl swinging on the swing set in the church’s playground. I could barely see her, except when she pumped her legs and the swing took her higher, towards the edge of the picture window. Her blond curly hair was flying in the breeze, and she looked peaceful in her new found freedom on that swing set. It was as if her childlike faith had simply set her free! She would appear in that window every five seconds or so, her frame shadowed just behind the cross. It was in that rare and holy moment when God began to reveal why Jesus Christ cared so much for humanity that He would lay down His life for even someone like me.

You see, Jesus knew that we would all betray Him at some point in time. Christ knew we might break our promises to make Him our first priority – the Lord and Savior of our lives. Jesus believes that every heart is worth dying for – every person is of infinite worth and value to the Father’s heart. He came in the flesh over 2,000 years ago to free that little girl who was swinging on the playground, so that she might fly higher in faith. He came to save the ones who were driving in the opposite direction from the church on Sunday morning, waiting patiently for them to turn their hearts around and follow Him. Jesus came to save the woman standing in the church balcony, peering out the window, thinking about what it means to be truly free in total dependence upon Jesus Christ. And if I had been the only one to betray Him, He would have died just to save me.

The disciples were at a loss for words when Jesus said that someone there would betray Him. He knew, even before He went to the cross that every heart would turn away, but it did not deter Him from submitting in obedience to the Father’s plan of salvation. As we reflect this week upon our independence as an American nation, one nation, under God, may Christ reveal to each of us our desperate need to place our total dependence upon His Word. This is not just for the freedoms we enjoy in the US, but for our freedom from sin and eternal separation: for the mistakes of our past, for the present of today, which is truly a gift, and for every tomorrow. Please turn around now and come back to the Lord.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.

Sunday, July 06, 2008

Stain-free!

Today’s Reading: John 13:18-20(NIV)

18 [Jesus said,] “I am not referring to all of you; I know those I have chosen. But this is to fulfill Scripture: ‘He who shares my bread has lifted up his heel against me. 19 I am telling you this now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe that I am He. 20 I tell you the truth, whoever accepts anyone I send accepts me; and whoever accepts me accepts the One who sent me.”

Good morning!

Today is the first Sunday of the month. All around the world United Methodist Christians will gather to worship and share the bread and cup together. This is the time to remember Christ’s last supper with His disciples. It is a grace-filled moment, as we celebrate God’s awesome gift of salvation. We will gather at His table today, holding mustard-seed faith in the palms of our cupped hands, knowing He can and will make all things new. It is very hard for me to comprehend the physical and emotional suffering that Jesus endured on the cross. Yet, I wonder which hurt Him more – the nails driven through His flesh or the intense spiritual pain caused by knowing that someone who shares His bread at the table will turn away.

Have you ever broken God’s heart?

I’ve managed to break a few hearts in my life. I have said and done things that have unintentionally hurt others. There were times when I chose to act out in self-righteous indignation, causing another human heart to suffer. These are some moments in life that I will regret until the day I die. Still, there is nothing I can do to remove those set-in stains of hateful words or actions. It’s as if my sin has become part of my genetic DNA, ingrained in my heart like the unique fingerprints I bear. We wear our sin well, and there is no amount of concealing cover-up to hide it from the face of our Lord.

This is the reason why Jesus came. The Father knew only One perfect sacrifice could adequately cover all my hateful words, thoughts and actions. He knew that I would need His Son’s blood to cover my heart. It may have been Judas who ratted out the Lord that night in the Upper Room; yet, I knew I was the one at the table kicking up my heels while eating Christ’s meal.

How could He love me this much?

If I had been the only one at the table with Jesus that night, He would have died just for me. There was no doubt that all of us, at some point, will betray the Lord. Whether it is out of pure selfishness or our refusal to trust and obey His Word, Jesus loves us so much He took humanity’s sin, so that we might wear stain-free robes. It is only through the blood of Christ that I will one day live in a perfect body, in the Father’s holy presence. It is only through Christ that I can be finally free from the mistakes I’ve made.

Today is the day we wash our robes in the blood of the Lamb. Do not miss this awesome opportunity to come clean before Christ. He knows what you’ve done; Christ knows what you’re thinking. Jesus knows where you’ve been, and He knows where you are going. Christ welcomes you today with open arms and nail-scarred hands to His table of mercy and grace. Jesus is waiting for you to come join Him there.

Come to Christ’s table today. Experience for yourself the grace and mercy that is yours, if you will only repent, confess and believe.

Grace and peace,

Deb Spaulding

Faith UMC - St. Charles, MO

www.songofdeborah.com

___________________________

© Copyright 2008, Deb Spaulding

All rights reserved

Articles may not be printed in any “for profit” publication without further permission by the author. Articles may be freely distributed via e-mail, reprinted in church bulletins or in other non-profit publications without further permission. Please keep this copyright and Web Site information intact with copied articles. Articles are sent originally to subscribers only. You may have received a forwarded or reprinted copy.