Easter: Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Today, we'll have just a quick devotional thought.  Those of you that are United Methodist, remember to be in prayer for our General Conference, which meets every four years to set policy for the United Methodist Church. And, for all of us, let us remember each other in prayer.  

I found a great quote by John Wesley today that I wanted to share with you:  This was his advice of Wesley to Christians with bad attitudes. 

"Sour godliness is the devil's religion."

Does that describe us today? Are are godly, but sour?  Shouldn't we as Christians be the most joyful?  But, are we sometimes the most negative?  Do we talk about the love God with a look of disgust on our face? Do we look for reasons to put down? To criticize?  It is not just that we should talk about how much we love God, we should let God's love shine through!  

Remember, today, it is not just that we should talk about God, we should live for Him with abandonment.

Aldersgate Day!

I was looking at my calendar just now and I realized that today is Aldersgate Day! Those of you that aren't Methodist (and maybe those of you are that are Methodist) may be wondering what in the world Aldersgate Day. It was on this day in 1738 when John Wesley was a religious meeting at the Aldersgate Society in London where he heard Martin Luther's Preface to Romans' read. It was in that moment that

"while he was describing the change which God works in the heart through faith in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. I felt I did trust in Christ, Christ alone for salvation; and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death."

What does this have to do with the rest of us, other than that great phrase, "heart strangely warmed." Wesley spent many, many years trying to earn God's love and God's grace. He preached. He studied. He traveled to America. He did everything he could think of to make God love him.

But, nothing worked. He could never find that grace that he sought so desperately. He became discouraged and even disillusioned. He was at a loss for what to do. He didn't know how to make God love him.

Then, this breakthrough. He realized that God loved him, forgave him, and called him. And at that moment, he was set free. He realized that God loved him, even him. And, he felt his heart warmed with God's all amazing grace. He was set free.

What does this mean for us? Today, through Christ, you can be free. You can life. You don't have to earn God's love. Let me say that again. You don't have to earn God's love. He simply loves you. You don't have to make Him. Just receive. Just receive what He longs to give you. Today, we can each be set free from these things, and feel our heart strangely warmed.

Today, may each of our hearts be strangely warmed with the knowledge of Gods' grace.

Lent: Wednesday, March 14, 2007

We're back! Hopefully now that everyone is healthy we'll be back to our normal routine and that means blogging will be back on schedule again. Today, just a quick thought, but tomorrow we'll return to our usual format.

God buries his workmen, but carries on his work.

John Wesley

What matters most in life is not what we want, but rather what God wants us to do. We are most miserable when we seek only ourselves, only our wants, only our wishes, only what we want to do. When we live being obedient to God, we will find life. When we live obedient to ourselves we will find death. God will carry on His work, and He will use us, if we allow.

Lent: Thursday, March 8, 2007

Today is just a short thought. Our son Thomas is in the hospital today, so the devotional will be back in all of its full glory when we return home!

I observed, "Love is the fulfilling of the law, the end of the commandment." It is not only "the first and great" command, but all the commandments in one. "Whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, if there be any virtue, if there be any praise," they are all comprised in this one word, love.

John Wesley