Don't Social Distance God!

A group of friends and I entered the swanky Daniel’s Broiler on Lake Washington. This very handsome looking white man walked by our group. All of a sudden he stopped and kissed me. He said, “You’re very pretty.” As you can imagine I was stunned. Today, I might call that a death sentence because he might have transferred the coronavirus  to me with that uninvited kiss. Then, I was too shocked to say or do anything.

 If you know me you may wonder why I didn’t hit him.  Fortunately for him violence is not my default action. My family and friends understand  I’m very protective of my personal space. My family is the kissy type, I am not.  I’ve been trying to overcome my aversion to the practice. This Covid 19 crisis has  impeded my personal growth. Maybe I, like, Michael Jackson’s glove, was just ahead of my time.

Some cultures  do welcome this affectionate greeting. Today that practice has been upended. The custom of kissing cheek to cheek with friends and family is no longer safe. Videos of  new ways to greet each other proliferate on social media. Touching ankle to ankle, or bumping shoulders in creative ways makes for hilarious viewing.

 While we think of news ways to do old things the beginning of the  verse in Psalms 2:12 says to adhere to  “Kiss the Son, lest he be angry..” God is giving this command. The son refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ. In 2020 during this COVID-19  crisis is this verse still applicable. Indeed it is!

Kissing the Son is a sign of submission. The King, God, is on His throne. If one will not kiss or submit to the King’s Son one puts one’s life in danger. In order to kiss  a person you have to get up close and make face to face contact. It’s a pretty intimate act.

God wants us to make individual contact with Jesus Christ. There is no Social Distancing with God.  No one else can kiss the Son for you. It’s very simple. You just do what millions have done before you . How do you kiss the son in 2020? You submit your will to not be your own king.  Say, Lord Jesus you are the King and I submit to your authority. You let God sit on the throne of your heart.   In the Great Scroll of Isaiah 45:23 it states, “ Everyone is going to end up kneeling before me. Everyone is going to end up saying of me, ‘Yes! Salvation and strength are in God!”(Message Bible)  Have you kissed the Son. Unlike the man who kissed me without permission God gives us an invitation and command to Kiss the Son. If you haven’t kissed the Son yet, I invite you to do so now.

 Kiss his son, or he will be angry

    and your way will lead to your destruction,

for his wrath can flare up in a moment.

Psalm 2:12

If You stopped by you are welcome to leave a comment.

A Holy Week Meditation

Since the 4th Century, this week  has been considered the most holy week in the liturgical Church calendar. This is a time of remembrance and proclamation of the atoning suffering and death of Jesus Christ. On Monday  of Holy Week, many traditions celebrate the anointing of Jesus that occurred in Bethany, even though this  event happened before Palm Sunday.

 On that evening in Bethany, Jesus was the only one anointed with nard, a magnificent and very expensive perfume.  Yet that fragrance filled the whole house. Everyone present had the benefit of smelling  Mary’s sacrificial gift.  Could Mary’s actions  be pointing us  to the  one of the meanings of the cross.?  Could it be saying that  the anointed one, Jesus  alone, was the only one who could hang on the cross for our sins.  No other being could do that. His offering was the sweet smelling savor that arose to heaven. Like those in the house who smelled the perfume , All of us who accept Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord are the beneficiaries of this Sacrifice. II Corinthians 2:15 For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are saved, and in them that perish.

We used to sing  an old hymn at Grace Baptist Church in Philadelphia where I grew up. It asks a question, "Must Jesus bear the cross alone and all the world go free,"  and then it answers," No there’s a cross for everyone and there’s a cross for me."  Jesus says the same to those that would be his disciple in Luke 9:23 And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me.

As we reflect on the events leading up to Christ’s sacrifice I think of  how many times have I said have said  I want to be like Jesus. But do I really? When I look at what Jesus went through leading up to his death  I wonder,  am I really honest when I say I want to be like him?

 Jesus is the God Man, fully God and fully man. Jesus knew what awaited Him. Jesus knew  who  was going to betray him and who was going to forsake him. Yet Jesus  was gracious, kind and loving.  Jesus was not irritable with his close disciples.  Yet I get irritable when I know people are not being sincere with me.

Jesus  knew Judas will betray him. Yet he does not withdraw from Judas and even  touches hands in the dish with the betrayer. I see those who have betrayed me and I never want to speak to them again. Do I really want to be like Jesus?  I realize that Jesus has forgiven me of all my sins, and yet 
sometimes I harbor resentment towards those who have offended me. DO I really want to be like Jesus?

Am I truly ready to pick up my cross and follow Jesus? I find myself needing the help of the Holy Spirit to truly sing that last verse of that old song.  This week I renew my commitment  singing,  "The consecrated cross I’ll bear,  til death has set me free,  and then go home my crown to wear, for there’s a crown for me."

And It Came to Pass

The phrase “It came to pass,” is stated 452 times in the King James Bible.
What if we read it like this,  “And the Coronavirus came to pass. The Coronavirus/Covid 19 came and it's spending time, but it will pass.  That's today's reality. Yes, it has altered our lives and our plans. Yes, it is causing sickness and death.  Indeed while here, it is causing economic havoc.   No one knows for how long it will remain among us. However we know that like 452 times in the Bible it will pass.

Are "Goodness and Mercy" Still Following Me?

As  a child growing up going to Sunday School and Vacation Bible. School I learned to recite the Twenty-Third Psalm. In the intervening  years I’ve read it during happy times and sad times. This morning one of the phrases, “Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” provoked a question in my mind.  Are “Goodness and Mercy” still following me? I mean like what’s good about a virus that’s wreaking havoc all over the world?  Plus I am now in that vulnerable senior age group that has that watch out factor, with an underlying health issue.

When I turn my head to look behind me I’m calling to “Goodness and Mercy” are you still there?  When all seems relatively peaceful I felt assured that they were with me and had my back. Now life  is out of whack and the waters are turbulent  do I have faith that “Goodness and Mercy” are still riding shotgun?  In this Psalm there are no qualifiers to this promise. It says that they will follow “All the days of my life.”

On this 16th day of March 2020 yes I know they are still following me. How do I know this? I know this because “Goodness and Mercy” are two of the many attributes of God. In the rearview mirror of life I’ve seen that “Goodness and Mercy,” were following me  even when I could not see them. I’ve seen them in God’s provision after my late husband passed away suddenly.

What most of my friends do not know was that when Winston passed there was no life insurance money. You may be asking why? Well, Winston was in between insurance policies. He had applied for insurance with another company.  Imagine my surprise when I called the insurance company and was informed he had dropped his policy. In anticipation of getting the new policy, without my knowledge, he had dropped his other policy. Seven days after his untimely passing I received a phone call from the new agency that Winston’s new policy was ready.  Of course this was too late to do anything for me. Was “Goodness and Mercy” still following me? Yes they were still there.

For the first time in my life not knowing why, I had saved a substantial amount of money. I had no idea I would need it for  Winston’s funeral and burial. “Goodness and Mercy,” were also present in the fact that we had paid off all of our consume debt. There was one exception. It was a bill we had for helping someone else. I paid that the next month. My personal finances were in good shape.

“Goodness and Mercy” accompanied all through those sad and trying days of intense grief and sorrow. I learned that I was moving through the Valley of Death. I learned I was not to live in that valley but to keep moving. While doing their job ”Goodness and Mercy,” had to come up close sometime and push me through that valley and they did. I have so many other experiences that show me that “ Goodness and Mercy,” never leave in troubling times.

A few weeks after Winston died my car also died. I started taking the bus back and  forth to work and renting a car from Enterprise for $9.99 on the weekends. When my late friend Gloria and her husband found out what I was doing they were moved to action. Their son was  away at college. His car was sitting in the garage. For the grand sum of one dollar a month, they rented me his car. This was love in action and “Goodness and Mercy“ following me. On this journey I had many times to experience their loving presence.  Later that same year I spent eight days in the hospital  with a blood clot in my lungs. “Goodness and Mercy” sat by my bedside with me along with numerous friends who visited  and cheered me up with their presence, prayers,  flowers, books and games for me to play.

As I reflect on my life I can say emphatically, “Yes!”   March 15, 2020 as we all  face this crisis I can turn and see that my Two Friends are right behind me. “Goodness and Mercy,” are following  me because God is with me for the duration of my journey on this earth.
Peace to all

Silent Night? Not!

Silent Night Holy Night is a well known Christmas hymn sung around the world. However I can’t help thinking that it wasn’t such a silent night in heaven or on earth. The angels were busy, the planets were aligning, the cattle were being displaced, Mary was in labor. An over 700 year old prophecy was about to be fulfilled. The anticipation was palpable as the universe got ready for this  grand occasion.

 Anna was in the temple praying,  The Magi were scanning the skies with their eyes with rudimentary instruments about to see the greatest discovery of their lifetime. No, this was no quiet night.  In Herod’s world there was a rebellion going being led by a man named Judas of Galilee on that kept his government on edge.  The birth of Jesus was on anything but a quiet, silent night.

The angels had not seen the Son of God in months. In fact who knows if God didn’t keep it a secret from them too.  It had been nine months when Jesus disappeared from their daily contact.
When they finally saw  again Jesus the Messiah appeared as an infant.  The angels couldn’t keep it to themselves. They stepped over into earth’s realm and were seen by the shepherds who were taking care of their sheep.  Whether they were  speaking or singing really doesn’t matter. However the message was great? Glory to God in the highest. They proclaimed that God has sent Peace, the Prince of Peace  a sign of God’s goodwill to you?

Outside of the stable people were still in a daze  for having to come back to tiny Bethlehem that they left long ago for better lives and job opportunities. Here they were crowded into ancient houses with every corner occupied by long forgotten relatives and strangers. Silent Night I don’t think so.

Bethlehem and its occupants remind me of what is happening today in 2019.  I don’t know why the government is in the condition that it is.  Like Mary and Joseph  I don’t have control of the situation. There is turmoil all around us just as it was for this little family.

 Like Mary and Joseph I am sure of this, God is in control. In the midst of all of the things that have occurred in my small world  I am held by the peace only God can give. In this peace I find stability in an unstable world. In this peace I find comfort in times of sorrow when  laying to rest good friends. In God’s peace I am looking at the process of aging that I see each day in my own body.

Yes,  in 2019 it may not be a Silent Night or silent life and all may not be calm, but I can rest, like Mary and Joseph  because I do have that Peace that God gives.

May God bless you as you celebrate God’s

peace sent through His Son Jesus Christ.

Wild Yeast!! We Are Constantly Getting Dusted.

 This week I made some bread using yeast as a leavener.  
Yeast is a single-celled, living organism that is hardly visible to the eye.  It is just about  everywhere. It takes 20 billion spores of yeast to make 1/28 of a gram of a cake of yeast.  You need a microscope to see a single cell of yeast.  Yeast is divided into  two categories, domesticated and wild yeast. In baking  most of us use domesticated yeast, which has been around for thousands of years.

If you put dry yeast with just dry flour it will do nothing.  In order to get the yeast quickly activated  and working  you have to mix it in with the flour along with some sugar in a warm liquid like water or milk.  Then the yeast starts to feast on the sugar in the flour producing ethyl alcohol and giving off carbon dioxide bubbles. This causes the dough to rise. That delicious looking bread is the result of these interactions.

The use of yeast in making bread got me to wondering about something.  In the  Bible yeast is equated with sin.  When God spoke  to the  Church  in  Laodicea He said,  “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth."  Revelation 3:15-16 NKJV
I think we can use  this as an analogy with our spiritual  lives?  In a cold liquid yeast will not be activated. In really hot water  yeast will be killed. However in a lukewarm liquid when mixed with flour and sugar  yeast will multiply rapidly. In fact researchers have found that seven generations of yeast can grow in a 24 hour period.

It’s in this lukewarm state sin can grow and infect the whole body of Christ, the Church. A little truth mixed with a lie,  a small compromise of the heart, or a half hearted commitment to God and truth can breed sin.  As individuals we need to make sure we are not lukewarm allowing the yeast of sin to multiply in our lives. If we are cold then the yeast cannot be activated either.

Before yeast was packaged commercially one could make yeast bread with a sour dough starter.
A starter is made by putting equal measures of flour and water  in a container and putting  it on the kitchen counter and letting it set in a warm environment.  Remember floating all around us is yeast.  Eventually some of the floating wild yeast lands in the flour mixture and starts to feel at home feasting on the sugar in the flour. Once this process is started there are various steps to take. Eventually this develops into a sour dough starter which can be replenished and can go on for years .

Now we can take wild yeast as the world’s  sinful ways,  thoughts and philosophy. It’s all around us. We may not be looking to have ourselves squeezed into the world’s mold, but the yeast is looking for a place to land and feast. For example today you can be watching a family friendly show  or a movie and then up pops a racy t.v. commercial- wild yeast. Maybe you’re reading a book for a required class and some illustration or somebody’s retelling of a story turns obscene- wild yeast.  Today it seems sin, wild yeast is on display everywhere. You get dusted with it when you’re not even trying to do so.

We don’t see the wild yeast of sin landing on us but God does. If we don’t deal with this wild yeast we will eventually see the consequences.
 We are getting dusted  with wild yeast landing on us but we don’t have to let it activate in our lives. So what do we do?

1. First of all be truthful with God and yourself.
 "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." I John 1:8
 "Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God." II Corinthians 7:1
Let’s get mature in Jesus, by practicing holiness and reverencing God. Hold God’s Word sacred and obey it Be zealous and give no place to the enemy. Ask God to put a guard over your lips and guard your heart for out of it flows the issues of life.

2. Keep short accounts .
Confess our sins as soon as they are brought to mind and forgive each other quickly and freely.  Don’t let the yeast/ sin get activated in your life. Give  the sin of unforgiveness  the cold shoulder, and pray for one another  Pray without ceasing. "Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you." Colossians 3:13

3.  Engage in effectual fervent prayer with the Holy Spirit ’s Guidance.
A few weeks ago one  of my friends sent a text asking  that I  pray over something. Well I said a quick prayer right then and there. However the thought came. Pray like you would want some one to pray if it was your concern. Part of the verse in James 5:16 came back to me " The effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous availeth much." Fervent is defined as very hot; glowing; exhibiting or marked by great intensity of feeling; zealous. God wants us to be hot, sincere in bringing our request to Him. We should not be engaging in some tepid insincere, obligatory prayers. Pray like we mean it.
Let our lives be marked by being zealous and passion fervently doing God’s  work and praying for ourselves and others.

May God give us cleansing, wisdom and grace as we walk to heaven through a yeasty and sin infested world.    

Musings Over My Breakfast Plate

Do you say a prayer of thanksgiving  before you eat? I know Thanksgiving Day is still over four weeks away.  That’s still over 4,032 hours. Those are a lot of hours between now and then not to eat. As I was looking at my breakfast this morning I thought I am eating better than a lot of kings and queens did in days past. I have salt for my scrambled eggs, avocado, pineapples in my mango salsa, and a cinnamon roll with raisins on it accompanied by  a cup of steaming hot chocolate.

Daily, I have easy access to salt. Once salt was so precious that it was  kept in a locked box. The closer one sat to the salt at the dinner table the more important one was. Hence the phrase, “Below the salt,” meaning you were not as important as the others.  Wars were fought between Portugal and the Dutch in the 17th century over the Banda Islands in Indonesia for control of the spices   cinnamon, nutmeg and mace located there. Cacao from which we get the cocoa for hot chocolate, not to mention avocados  and pineapples had to sail through treacherous oceans to get to the European kings and queens.  

Now here I sit with my breakfast plate with items most people of days long past could never afford or even have had access. I am grateful.  I will say thanks to God for such bounty on just an ordinary day. I feel incredibly blessed whenever I eat. Therefore since I don’t eat just once a year I will say thanks whenever I eat.  Oh, and please enjoy your meal!

Always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, 

in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 5:20

My Breakfast Plate