I Wanna Meemow

And because of His glory and excellence

He has given us great and precious promises. 2 Peter 1:4

I was helping Emma learn to write her name. She was having a little trouble writing the “m’s.” So I told her that they were like rainbows. She had fun writing the rainbows in her name. We were so excited that she had 4 rainbows in her name. Her little brother came over and said, “I wanna meemow.” That was his way of saying, “I want a rainbow.”  So, of course, I helped him write a rainbow too.

That incident made me think of rainbows as being promises from God because the origin of a rainbow was the promise from God to Noah. He has given a lot of promises to us in His word. And I pictured myself going to my heavenly Father and saying, “I wanna meemow.” And of course my Father will give one to me.

Psalm 145:13 For Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. You rule throughout generations. The Lord always keeps His promises (*meemows); He is gracious in all He does.

So the meemows in the Bible are for me. I am even promised that He will keep His promises. That’s a double promise. Yay, that means a double meemow!

Here are some of my favorite meemows I am meditating on this week:

1.    But my God will supply all your needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.  Phil. 4:19

2.    For God so loved the world, that He gave Hid only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life. John 3:16

3.    Come to me, all you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

4.    No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.     Romans 8:37

5.    Peace I leave with you; My peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your heart be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

6.    And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Matt. 28:20

There are many more promises from God to anyone who will look for them in His word. If you want a rainbow all you have to do is look.

Go to your Heavenly Father and say,

“I wanna meemow.”

He has one waiting for you.

Unconditional Thankfullness

This is the season that our nation pauses and gathers with family and counts the blessings the year has brought us. Some of us go around the turkey table and share what we’re thankful for. Some reminisce with family about the fun times they've had together. Some remember members of the family they love that are not with them anymore or just couldn't make it this year. But we all pause and thank.

I've recently wondered what would happen if we actually voiced out loud the bad things that happened in our lives this year and said we were thankful for those times. I know if I did that my family would start looking for a special new place for me to live with kind people who would take care of me and not let me hurt myself. We just don’t like to say we’re thankful for the yuckies. It goes against everything we know.

We put conditions on what we will be thankful for:

I’m thankful I got that promotion or raise - not that I lost my job. I’m thankful for my health - not that I was diagnosed with something that will change my life. I’m thankful that God has taken care of my family - not that I have had a tragedy with a family member.

We can’t seem to be able to bring ourselves to unconditional thankfulness.

But we do have this glorious expectation: God’s unconditional love.

And I’m glad He does love us because we have all been quite unlovable. God never says, “If you do this or that and don’t do this or that, I will love you.”  Romans 8:35-39 says, “Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? …No, despite all things that happen to us overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love…No power in the sky above or in the earth below – indeed nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

Yay! We like that! Unconditional love from God is our secure promise. We are so thankful for this.

 But what about our response to this wonderful unconditional love? 1 Thessalonians 5:18 says, “In everything give thanks; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” The word “everything” in this verse means: all, everything, the total picture. It is God will for us to receive His unconditional love and to give Him our unconditional thanks.

So this Thanksgiving I’m saying thanks to my God for everything (even the yuckies.)

And I’m going to try not to put conditions on my thanks in the future.

I want to get to the place in my life that I am habitually unconditionally thankful.

That may take me until next Thanksgiving. 

Thirty One Flavors of Christian

A few weeks ago, in his sermon, my pastor Wade said (when talking about us being salt,) “Christians are to bring flavor to the world.” This statement reminded me of something a friend once told me, “If we were ice-cream flavors, I’d be vanilla and you’d be pistachio!” I’m not sure that was a compliment. But I think she meant that she was classic, conservative, traditional, predictable, and a popular choice and that I was …well … not.  I almost started laughing in the middle of a serious sermon as I remembered this.

I’m pistachio. Is that OK?

Consequently, this led me to a study of flavor. There are supposedly seven flavors recognized by humans: sweet, salty, sour, bitter, umami (savory), spicy, and metallic. I’m not sure where pistachio fits in. Hmm,  maybe umami?

I learned that smell can’t really be separated from taste.  Any company in the food production area has to consider smell as part of their product appeal. The flavor creation in their food product is done by specially trained scientists called “flavorists.”  These flavorists insure the smell and taste of the food will work in the application for which it is intended.

Well God seems to be our Flavorist. He has created us to be a taste that will work in in His plan for presenting salvation to the world.

Matthew 5:13 says, “You are the salt and seasoning (flavor) that is in the earth. But if the salt becomes tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything.”

 Wow, we are called to be a flavor of the gospel to the world. We are no good for God if we’re not actively flavoring those around us. I guess it takes all kinds of flavors to meet the needs of those around us.

 Sometimes we need to show the sweetness of Christ’s love. Sometimes we need be the salt preservative and make sure God’s standard in His Word is upheld. Sometimes we need to even be the bitter reminder of the punishment for sin. Sometimes we need to turn up the spicy heat and remind the world of the brevity of life and point the way to salvation. Sometimes we will even leave a metallic taste that the unsaved don’t like in that we point out the difference between our Christian life and theirs. And, yes, sometimes we get to be umami, the yum of being a follower of Jesus.

Colossians 4:6 says, “Let your message to the world be always gracious, flavored so that you know how to respond to everyone.”

We need to depend on our Flavorist to make sure that the flavor we present works for His intended application.

2 Corinthians 2:14 says, “But thanks be to God who always causes us to triumph in Christ and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of Him everywhere.”

Our Flavorist makes sure that the fragrance (the knowledge of God) matches the taste (salvation through Christ) as we spread the gospel.

We may be vanilla or, thankfully, we may even  be pistachio or any flavor in between as long as we are using the flavor God has given us to spread His good news to mankind. It reminds me of the ice-cream shop that offers thirty-one flavors so that any customer can get what they want. You are one of God’s flavors to the world so that everyone can get what they need as you point them to Christ.

I’m pistachio.

What flavor are you?

You Are Here

I just recently went to a wonderful mini conference called “How to Study the Bible” led by a Godly local lady (Jo Hancock of His Vessel Ministries.) Jo started with an overview of the Bible. She presented this overview of God’s plan for the world and how we fit into this plan as the reason to diligently study God's word. When she got to the book of Revelation she said something that caught my attention in a way that pointed a convicting finger at me. This gifted speaker said that if we wanted to know where the Christians are right now in time we needed to read Revelation chapters 2 and 3. She went on to the wonderful finish of God’s word but I was stuck those few chapters back at 2 and 3.

It was as if I was at the map in the mall and found the red dot that said, “You are here.” I felt prompted to read chapters 2 and 3 of Revelation right there on the spot. If this is where I’m located in the history of God’s plan for the world then I need to see what God has to say to me for this time. I’m sorry and I apologized to the speaker afterwards but I missed part two of her session. God took my focus to these two chapters. You see, I had always read these passages as if they were written to some other Christians at some other churches at some other time. But I was shocked into the reality that this was for me ... now... here.

Here is a little synopsis of the letters to the churches and to us from Jesus himself in chapter 2 and 3 of Revelation:

1.       OK, so you've worked diligently to keep your relationship with Christ uncorrupted from the world. You've stood strong even in the face of those opposing God. You didn't stay quiet when you could have for Christ’s name sake. But be careful in all of your good works that you are not just doing it out of duty or habit.  Don’t let your love for God get swallowed up by obligation. Remember to love the Lord with all of your heart, soul, and mind. God doesn't want a dutiful Christian. He wants a loving child.

2.       OK, so you’re not rich by the world’s standard. You have even been mistreated financially and physically because you claim the name of Christ. Be ready to suffer in this life. It’s inevitable that heartache and pain will come your way. The final victory for a Christian over sorrow, hurt, and even death is heaven. It cannot be taken away from you. You have this as your ultimate triumph as you persevere.

3.       OK, so it’s hard to live the Christian life when there’s sin all around you.  You play in the proverbial trashcan all day yet you try to come home clean. Remember that your definition of clean is not God’s. He is holy and has called you to holiness. Don’t let sin creep into your life and try to justify it by comparing yourself with those around you. Jesus is your only standard.

4.       OK, so you have grown in your faith. You know God more intimately. You follow God more closely. But don’t let this feeling that you are so good hide a deeper sin. Do you blandly tolerate others who blatantly sin?  Do you do align yourself with the ungodly? Do you watch as others fall into sin and say nothing because it would not be acceptable behavior? Do you silently watch as others live their life without Christ? Then there is something wrong with your understanding of the Christ life. You are not as “all that” as you thought you were. Get your “Christian” on and wear it proudly.

5.       OK, so you know all the right words to say and you can pull off the Godly act around other Christians. You may fool everyone but you don’t fool God. Make sure your life matches your talk. Be a "real" Christian.

6.       OK, so you’re a little weak in the “go into all the world and make disciples” area. God’s power in you totally makes up for that. Let Him show you this power in your everyday life. You will be amazed at what He does through you. Just do it!

7.       OK, so you’re not charging hell with a water pistol but you’re not deliberately living in sin either.  You think that if you can just scoot through life without causing a big hassle with the unsaved or God, you’ll be fine.  But God doesn't like that kind of lifestyle. You can’t just “get by” as a Christian. Stand up, put on your spiritual armor, and make a difference.

I saw myself in every scenario. And it wasn't a pretty picture. So right there in the middle of Jo's session, I renewed my commitment to: love Him, persevere, measure my life by God’s standard, proudly proclaim my faith in Christ, be real, get out there, and make a difference.

I found my location.

I am here.

Where are you?