I don’t know which day of the week is best for reflection. Today is a Sunday and I’m pensive. So here it is – a barrage of thoughts from me and others I’ve been listening to.
God has two sides
Bye bye my sins. Is God forgetful or full of mercy? There are six things that God does with our sins. This is a list from Rev Caleb Cangelosi. Thank you for the metaphors.
Ps 103:12 – He removes them as far as the east is from the west.
Micah 7:19 – He treads them underfoot.
Micah 7:19 – He casts them into the depth of the sea.
Isa 38:17 – He casts them behind his back.
Isa 43:25 & 44:22 – He wipes them out like a disappearing cloud.
Isa 43:25 & Jer 31:34 – He remembers them no more.
If God casts my sins behind His back, well, then He must have a front to have a back. God has, at least, two sides!
Fondue and Raclette
Talk about cheese. My time in Wiler, Switzerland, is keeping me quite busy reviewing notes and trying to remember what made it sound so useful. I don’t know how fondue and raclette, very rich foods, caused weight loss but it did. Or rather, all of the walking up and down the slopes. I’m sorry the writing is taking so long. What was not negotiable at Wiler is that I was living in a dorm and eating, along with everyone else, what we were given. Not complaining, really, but the first thing I wanted to do after six months away was to go to the market and feel free to pick whatever I wanted. I know that sounds childish but there are somethings that are given. For instance, at birth, the certificate states male or female. As a baby – even a baby with attitude – it is not negotiable. It is still not negotiable. Anthropologists find that every culture has a practice of monogamy between a man and a woman. When God informs our hearts we choose what He has planned. God chose a man and a woman for marriage. His is not a promise of blessing without a design. God showcases His best when He formed Eve from Adam. The following verse after the creation of Adam and Eve, being so please with each other, is Gen 3:1a, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field”. The silliness of our current age is from the same. Denying our own design and how marriage looks is denying God and that denial is the plan of Satan. I met a girl/boy last week whose name is Shadow. She explained that when she married her girlfriend, her given name did not suit her so she changed it. That is not evil but may fall into a stream of misguided. Do not be on His side. This plan is also a precursor of Jesus and the church. All of our happiness is dependent on grace, mercy, love, and faithfulness and if you are married, may you find it all. Thank you, Pastor Steve, for the bigger and more complete lesson on marriage than I have mentioned here. I did enjoy the fondue, raclette, and other Swiss gifts but am happy to report that cheese pizza is one of my favorites when I’m at home.
Finally
The difference between a surgeon and a coroner. Both know how to cut apart. Only one knows how to put back together and bring life.
A word on 9/11 – Crisis awakens our need for God.
