I Am

"God said to Moses, "I AM WHO I AM." And he said, "Say this to the people of Israel, 'I AM has sent me to you.'" Exodus 3:15 RSV

You told us that your name is I AM. This I AM shows that you are the Alpha and Omega; a presence without beginning or without end. This I AM shows that you are everywhere and everything from the smallest atomic particle to the largest celestial body.

This I AM shows that you are every part of our existence, yet separate, for anything can be added to the end of I AM, therefore, you are:

I AM God
I AM Lord
I AM Creator
I AM Destroyer
I AM Teacher
I AM Father
I AM Savior
I AM Judge
I AM Mercy
I AM Joy
I AM Peace
I AM Righteousness
I AM Love

So Father, I want you to know - I am yours.

Your Love

Dear Father,

I am surprised and delighted every time you show your love to me.

Love from,

Your beloved

Abortion in the First Two Stages

If salvation is the free gift of God through the death and resurrection of his Son, Jesus, then why is the plan of salvation rejected by so many?

To answer that question, let us look at the stages of salvation. "...Since all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ..." Romans 3:23 RSV. We see that the first stage of salvation is condemnation. This is the first stumbling block; that we must confront our own short comings. Many people never get past this first step, and just as a woman who finds that she is pregnant wrestles with the knowledge of what is to come, many people choose to abort at this point.

"For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23 RSV Confronting our own mortality is the second stage of salvation. At no other time in history has the American man and woman been less accepting of this one fact - We are going to die! There are whole industries centered on the denial of death and the maintenance of our bodies, and although the morning mirror continues to reflect the truth of our mortality, our minds are still closed to that truth as if denial will make it go away.
It is a reflection of our arrogance to believe that we are special and we will not die.

It is in these first two stages that many abort. These two stages are as uncomfortable and painful as pregnancy and labor, but unlike giving birth to a baby, you can change your mind at any point and lose what is to come.

"If, because of one man's trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ." Romans 5:17 RSV This is the birth of the child; the acceptance of the sacrifice of Jesus.

If we can endure the pain of condemnation and our own mortality, we can give birth to our salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Unwrapping Presents

A cold winter's night and the children are finally asleep. Scurrying, their parents uncover the Christmas tree from its hiding place and begin the decorating. When the tree is festooned with lights and glass balls, the gifts are wrapped with colored paper and pretty bows. These are placed under the tree in anticipation of morning delight on the children's faces.

Imagine, if you will, the excitement of the parents as each carefully chosen gift was wrapped and a name attached to each package. Will Billy like the fire truck? I can just see Sally playing house with her new doll.

Before we were created, God created the world. He decorated the sky with the joyous lights of the sun, moon and stars. The oceans were given a sound that would caress away our anxiety, and the land was festooned with greenery beyond compare.

Hidden under creation were wonderful gifts all waiting to be opened and enjoyed. Some gifts were practical - for instance fire and the wheel; some were fanciful - music and paint. But, I am sure that God created each gift greatly anticipating the moment when that designated recipient would opened the package.

Some received many gifts (Leonardo, Einstein and Edison) and they shared their gifts with the rest of the world. Others received only one gift. Some gifts were lost - the ancient battery found in Iraq - so God carefully rewrapped the gift and gave it to another, while others survived from the beginning.

Unfortunately, some gifts are not used as intended, and just as Billy's parents would be horrified to see him throw his new fire truck at his sister in anger, God is, at times, horrified at the way we use some of his gifts.

There are still gifts waiting to be opened. Each one is beautifully wrapped with a future name on the name tag. But, the best gift is what we learn about our Creator every time we unwrap a new Present.

There Is But One God

It is with a heavy heart; I hear that the world believes that Christians worship three gods instead of one God. Let me say emphatically - it is not so.

From the Word - "'You are my witness,' says the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that you may know and believe me and understand that I am He. Before me no god was formed, nor shall there be any after me." Isaiah 43:10 This is what we believe; God existed before and will exist after without ending and that there is no other God.

So, how does the trinity fit into the One God belief? "In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." John 1:1 RSV So as my word goes out on these pages, but still remains a part of me, so too, God's Word went out from him, yet is still a part of him. So what is the Word?

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth; we have beheld his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father" John 1:14 RSV Jesus is the Word of God made flesh. Remember, when Jesus walked the earth, many could not read or write, nor was there mass broadcasts. So, God sent his Word out in the body of a man, and just as my words go forth from my hands to this page for you to read, God's Word went forth from his mouth for all to hear through Jesus.

Though my words have left my fingers and are now a part of this page, they still belong to me. Even our copyright laws recognize this fact. However, if you read my words - taking them into yourself - and believe them, they also become a part of you.

So too, as God's Word (Jesus) went forth into the world The Word was still a part of God. When the people heard and believed, that Word then became a part of them.

"With them indeed is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah which says: 'You shall indeed hear but never understand, and you shall indeed see but never perceive. For this people's heart has grown dull, and their ears are heavy of hearing, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should perceive with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and turn for me to heal them.' But blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear." Matthew 13:15-16 RSV