Victory at Calvary

V for Victory-The Center of Calvary

Each year at this time we begin to look once again about the sacrifice that was made for us on Calvary. I often look at the suffering of Jesus and wonder if I had been there, what side would I have taken. We must recognize that those taking part in the killing of Jesus could not see the big picture and therefore, they had only the present circumstances for which to make a decision.

One of the things they did not realize was that the greatest victory for us in all of history was won at Calvary. Victory for all mankind was won at Calvary. Our sins were taken to the cross and Jesus provided a way for us to be free from the chains of sin and death. “Mercy there was great, and grace was free; Pardon there was multiplied to me; There my burdened soul found liberty; At Calvary.” [1]

To the followers of Jesus, this was a dark day! They had no hope; they had nothing to look forward to; it was the darkest day possible for them. But to us, we look at the sacrifice on Calvary through the eyes of Easter! Because of this, we have new life and new hope in Christ.

This new hope is available to all who believe on His Name.

Here’s a poem written by my wife Betty Lewis and it really says it all!

IT IS FINISHED!

Veil torn asunder
Earth groaned thunder
IT is finished!
Covenant superseded
Grace interceded
IT is finished!
Perfect sacrifice
Final blood price
IT is finished!
Sin debt paid
God's love displayed
IT is finished!
Grave defeated
Resurrection completed
IT is finished!
Manger to Grave
Sinless life gave
IT is finished!
Prophesies complete
Returned to His Seat
IT is finished!
Faith abounding
Grace astounding
IT is finished![2]

     

 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,f that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.” [3]

Happy Easter!

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[1] William R. Newell pub. 1895

[2] Betty L. Lewis 3/29/2015

[3] John 3:16-17 NIV

The New Year

“Brothers, I do not count myself to have attained, but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press towards the goal to the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”[1]

It’s hard to believe that 2018 has just arrived. For some it will be a time of great anticipation and for others it may be a sad time because the circumstances that one may be going through.

The New Year is one of the most significant times of the year to assess where one has come from, where they are now and where they want to go. New Year’s resolutions are great; however, studies show that more than 60 percent are forgotten the first month. Perhaps the reason is defining the difference between wishes and goals. A wish is a dream and a goal is something that is measurable. If a goal is measurable, it is achievable.

It is important to keep our eyes on where we are going and enjoy the moment. That’s why the windshield is so much larger than the rear-view mirror in our vehicles. To spend too much time looking at the past will automatically change one’s direction. I remember as a young boy watching my dad plow with an old mule. It looked so easy and so I convinced him to allow me to take over. His last instruction was, “Keep your eyes on where you’re going.” Of course, I didn’t listen and decided to look back where I’d been and the old mule sensed the change of my focus and took off across the field. Needless to say, it was the last time for me to be allowed to plow. Morale of the story—Never allow the past to cause you to lose your focus on the goal.

We cannot do much about the past, but we can use it’s a launching pad to things of which you’ve never experienced. Today is the first day of the rest of your life! “We are products of our past, but we don’t have to be prisoners of it.”[2]

One’s life consists of periods of time of which we tend to break down into three segments-past, present and future. The past is always getting larger; the present is only a transitional word for the moment and the future is getting smaller. Therefore, one should live the future with no regrets as we add to the size of our past.

Happy New Year!

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[1] Philippians 3:13-14 KJV

[2] Rick Warren

The Bucket List

      We have heard much in recent years about individuals having a “bucket list.” This has been more prevalent since the production of movie in 2007, by the same title. It was a very popular movie and inspired many people to use the term about doing things or going places they had only imagined in their dreams.

      It is only natural, as one gets older to look at the number of years one might have left and start to plan how to spend those years. Looking at the “bucket list” of many individuals, it contains items, for the most part, for number one. May I suggest that life’s greatest satisfaction comes when one realizes and changes the “It’s all about me,” to “It is not all about me.”

      I often wonder why most “bucket lists” concentrate on traveling, jumping out of airplanes, accomplishing physical tasks, etc. Very few lists that I have seen have little or no great impact on the legacy that one wants to leave. Unfortunately for many, one may have just waited too long to do those things. Major changes in our life cause us to alter our plans before we are able to accomplish these tasks.

      When considering the idea of “It’s not about me,” what would your bucket list look like today? Many stop pursuing goals and are waiting for the time of retirement or afraid to make the commitment. They will say; “where do I start?” What if? What if? What if? These two words are unbelievably powerful in preventing us from doing what would be so important.

      Perhaps you regretted not getting the degree that you wanted. It is never too late; go back to school and take the classes and obtain the degree. A friend of mine just had his eighty-ninth birthday and is now pursuing his Master’s degree in Biblical education. It’s a well-known fact that as long as one is learning, the mind will stay stronger.      There is an old saying, “A mind is a terrible thing to waste.” This is true. After spending lifetime learning, it’s terrible to put all that knowledge on the shelf and take it to the grave with us. Just like our body needs exercise, our mind needs it also.

      So what kind of wishes that you have had and not been able to accomplish?  It may include things for personal growth, one’s closeness to God, or special things with the family, or something special with or for others. Doing special things to improve our body, soul and mind is so important. There are so many opportunities to grow even in our golden years to keep them from becoming “rusty years.”

      Notice what the Apostle Paul stated as he neared the later years of his life, “No, dear brothers, I am still not all I should be, but I am bringing all my energies to bear on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I strain to reach the end of the race and receive the prize for which God is calling us up to heaven because of what Christ Jesus did for us.” [1] One has stated, “Looking backward, we see the blessings of God. Looking forward we are able to see His great plans for us.”[2]

      The bottom line should be about setting priorities in our life and accomplishing those things that matter most. Remember—the best time to start is now! This could be the most rewarding time of your life. What will you do and when will you start? When life is just about me, little is accomplished of eternal value. When it’s about others, life takes on a completely new meaning.

      What’s on your Bucket List? Is it something that will live on after you’re gone or will it go with you when you’re gone?

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[1] Philippians 3:13-14

[2] Unknown

Who Am I?

     Who am I? This is a question that has been asked for centuries. Most of us have possibly asked the same question. People often ask the question of us, “Who are you?” or sometimes, “What are you?”  They see the person that we present by our “stage” presence but are not really able to see who we are. Even when we look in the mirror, we will see only a representation of the real person. I’ve heard of many young people that are constantly searching and going in many different directions to “find out who they are.”

    We used to play games with the children by describing something or someone and allowing them to identify the person or thing. If we were trying to identify who we are and trying to get someone to guess, what would we say? Would we start by describing the outward appearance, with all the identifying features or would we start by trying to describe the inner qualities, or faults, that only God and the individual really know. The outer is easily describable but the inner is difficult because our inner being is often camouflaged.

     While taking personality test years ago, I took the test and then gave the same test to three of my direct reports to also evaluate me. When the instructor gave me the results, I tried to give it back to him stating, “You must have given me the wrong one.” The fact was that I perceived myself totally different as the others saw me. Then, I began to take another look and ask, “Who am I?” Or, even more alarming, do we really know the answer to the question?

    I believe that it is so easy, at times, to really lose sight of whom we are, who we belong to and the purpose that we have in life. “I recently read again, the story of a man that was arrested at the age of twenty-five and was convicted as a political prisoner. At the age of 80 when the Soviet Union was being dissolved and many people were being released, it was decided that he should be released.  Before leaving the prison, he asked for a mirror.  As he looked into the mirror, he fell to his knees and buried his face in his hands and wept.  He had not seen his face in 55 years and therefore didn’t know what he looked like.  He had lost all perceptions of who he was and how he looked.”(1)

     According to the scripture, we are very special with respect to how God looks at us.  God uniquely made each of us; therefore, we are special in His eyes. There is a children's song that says, "I am a promise I am a promise I am a possibility I am a promise with a capital P. I am a great big bundle of potentiality"(2)

The writer of Psalms stated, “Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! It is amazing to think about. Your workmanship is marvelous-and how well I know it. You were there while I was being formed in utter seclusion! You saw me before I was born and scheduled each day of my life before I began to breathe.”(3)TLB

    Do you know who you are? If someone asks you who you are, what will be your answer? So how will you describe yourself to others? By what they see or by what you say? So I now ask you, “Who are you?”  What will be your answer?

Who am I? I am ____________________.

    Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for loving us exactly as we are.  We know that we are creations of your beauty and love. Help us this day to praise you for us being fearfully and wonderfully made. Help us to be all that you intended us to be. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

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[1] Unknown source
(2) Bill and Gloria Gaither

[2] Ps 139:14-15

Happy Birthday America

This past week we were privileged to once again celebrate the birthday of our great nation. This day, amid the fireworks and cookouts, gave us an opportunity also to reminisce over our life and see the results of the freedom that we enjoy. Although the freedom was not obtained without a price, it was given to us to enjoy and protect so that future generations may also reap the benefits. 

We know that nothing is really free. Many sacrificed their lives, the lives of loved ones, their family relationships and others, their health to provide for us this freedom. Some sacrificed voluntarily and others by request. I’ve met very few that served and regretted having served but the majority was very proud of having served, in any capacity to preserve our freedom. It’s now our responsibility to not allow their sacrifice to have been in vain.

This freedom allows each of us to be the best that one is capability of becoming and achieve the impossible dreams. Most of us did not achieve the great things just because of who we were or because of a biological inheritance. It took a lot of attitude, plus work, plus dependability, commitment and other qualities and a whole lot of God-given creative ability. Take a close look back and remember the  journey of  your ancestors, the commitments of your parents, the route your life has taken and mostly likely, it will look like a Divine plan that was in place to bring you to the place you are today.

When God made man, He made us in his image and part of His image was His creative ability. Although we cannot create worlds, we can create things that change the world. We have great creative abilities and should constantly be looking at ways to use that gift from God. The freedom that we enjoy here in these United States gives us the power to change ourselves, and those things around us. We have the ability to change for either good or bad. We need to follow God’s creativity example and realize after He finished each day of creation, He looked and “saw that it was good!” Are we able to say the same?

One may say, “I don’t know where to start using my creative ability.” We must remember that with every frustration in life, an opportunity exists to create. For every disappointment, an opportunity exists. For every “I wish,” there is an opportunity to achieve. We often wish that someone would create something to make one’s life better, but have you ever thought that you just might be that “someone?” Our freedom allows us to think and dream beyond our wildest imaginations. I remember statements that a drafting teacher would say to us many years ago, “If you can draw it, you can build it.” “If you can dream it, it’s achievable.”

Many complain about our country and perhaps there is much to complain about, but today I challenge each of us to play a little game. Take a sheet of paper and fold it down the middle and write on the top of one side, negatives and on the other side positives. Start writing everything that you can think about our country.  I guarantee that when finished, if ever, the positives will outweigh the negatives by a large number. Then look at the negatives and ask, “How can I use my creative abilities to turn the negatives into positives?” There will be some that one cannot change; that’s when we turn them over to God in prayer.” An unknown author stated, “The things beyond ourselves we leave to God.”

Happy Birthday America!

“Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.”[1]

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[1] Ephesians 3:20-21 NLT