I Saw Love Today

I saw love today in the eyes of a man who at 75 years of age and after 53 years of marriage still knelt down beside his wife's hospital bed to pray with her before the nurses wheeled her away to surgery. This is the love of a man for a woman who models daily what it is to have a Christian marriage and loves a woman who continues to be his partner through life.

I saw love today in the way that a son took time away from his busy pastoral schedule to come and be at the bedside of his mother and secretly slip away and build a new ramp for her so that she will be able to get in an out of the car in the comfort of the garage. This is the love of a man for the mother who brought him into this world and cared for his every need for 18 years and continues to care for him and love him as he approaches his 50th birthday.

I saw love today as the doctors and nurses kindly and gently cared for a woman who was in great pain and who was suffering physically in the aftermath of major surgery. This is the love of a caring professional who takes their life's calling and vocation seriously and who treats human beings with dignity at a very difficult and vulnerable point in their life.

I saw love today as countless friends and neighbors stopped by to check on a patient and dear friend. This is the love of someone who wants to give back some of the love that has been given so generously to them by the one who now lays in the hospital bed.

But I saw another love today. It was the love of a Heavenly Father who hovered above the hospital bed and watched over one of His precious children. It was the love of the Holy Spirit who was the Comforter as the anesthesia subsided and the pain became intense. And it was the love of Jesus Christ himself of whom it was written, “by His stripes we are healed.”

I was fortunate today to be a witness to that kind of love. I am fortunate to be loved in return by that mother laying in the hospital bed. I am even more blessed to be covered by that kind of love myself as a Child of God.

God, thank you for watching over Mom and helping her through surgery. Thank you God for your blessings and for the way that you show me each day the many ways that you are at work in my life.

Get well soon, Mom.

I love you.

Blessed are the Meek

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Matthew 5:5 ASV

God blesses those who are gentle and lowly, for the whole earth will belong to them.

Matthew 5:5 NLT

Can you think of many other passages in the Bible that are so counter to today's culture? I certainly cannot.

This was the text for our Bible Study last Sunday morning. And it engendered a great deal of discussion in the class. And that was a god thing since I was teaching that morning!

But this passage, perhaps more than any other passage in the Bible, clearly demonstrates the difference between what man esteems and what God esteems. So many times we, as humans, place value in and look up to the conquering heroes of history. Men like Julius Caesar, Alexander the Great, Napoleon, Gen. Patton and others are put on a pedestal by the writers of history.

There is even a part of us that, although we abhor the motivation and the inhumaneness of their actions, is somehow intrigued by men of power like Adolph Hitler or Saddam Hussein. These men were driven by blind (and sometimes mad) ambition to conquer the world. They did not let anyone stand in their way. Even their own people!

And the concept of meekness was somewhat foreign to the people of Jesus time. In fact, the Jews were looking for a Messiah who was a conquering hero to ride into their midst and help them to overthrow the evil Roman pagans. But Jesus spouts off with some nonsense like the "meek inheriting the earth." Who could believe or even understand that kind of talking?

So, Jesus himself says that He himself is the model of meekness. Matthew 11:28-30 says:

Come unto me, all [ye] that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke [is] easy, and my burden is light.

Zechariah prophesied about this same Jesus when he said in Chapter 9, verse 9:

Rejoice greatly, O people of Zion! Shout in triumph, O people of Jerusalem! Look, your king is coming to you. He is righteous and victorious, yet he is humble, riding on a donkey-even on a donkey's colt.

The Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:5-11 (ASV):

Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of [things] in heaven, and [things] in earth, and [things] under the earth; And [that] every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ [is] Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

And Peter says in II Peter 2:21-23 (ASV):

For hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, that ye should follow his steps: who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered threatened not; but committed [himself] to him that judgeth righteously:

So what does this mean to me?

It means that I am to follow Jesus Christ's example in a way that is absolutely opposite to how the world says to live. Paul knew that when he wrote to the church at Ephesus.

I therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Ephesians 4:1-2

He wrote something similar to the church at Colosse.

Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;

Colossians 3:12

He had similar advice to his young helper,Timothy, his son in the faith and partner in ministry.

But thou, O man of God, flee these things; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness.

I Timothy 6:11

To Titus, another son in the faith he wrote to encourage with these words:

To speak evil of no man, to be no brawlers, [but] gentle, shewing all meekness unto all men.

Titus 3:2

What does meekness look like?

• The man who is meek is not proud of himself. Instead he glorifies God the Father.

• The man who is meek is not arrogant and demanding. Instead he is gentle and kind.

• The man who is meek doesn't assert himself, or demand his rights. Instead he has a servant's heart.

• The man who is meek is not sensitive about himself. Instead he is sensitive about the needs of others.

• The man who is meek is not always on the defensive. Instead he is confident that God will watch over him.

• The man who is meek never pities himself or feels sorry for himself. Instead he is conscious of God's grace and mercy that has been applied in his life.

• The man who is meek realizes that he has so much more than he could ever possibly deserve!

Needless to say, the Bible Study session last Sunday was a real "gut check" for me. How about you?

Prayer Request for a Friend

I have a very dear friend who is going through a tough couple of days. I am asking any visitors to "Holiness of Heart and Life" to offer up a brief word of prayer for this friend and brother in Christ.

Thank you in advance for your prayers.

Kevin

Mountain Railroad or Highway

What is life like?

If you are over 50, then life is probably like a “mountain railroad” and you will hear the old country gospel song playing in your mind.

If you are under 30, then likely you will say that life is a “highway” and you want to ride it all night long and you will hear a song by Rascal Flatts playing in your mind.

If you are somewhere in between... Well, I don't know what you hear.

I have become very interested in reading a fellow blogger lately. His name is Trey and he posted last week about life as a highway and it got me to thinking. If you would like to read his original post, then follow this link. I think he took the highway analogy and did a fantastic job with it. I highly recommend you check him out.

I have an uncle that claims that there is sufficient theology in the old song that you can find salvation if you follow the words in the lyrics. I am not sure about that. But I think there is more to that song about the mountain railway than there is to the highway. Especially if your highway is like Rascal Flatts describes it.

Now don't get riled up with me. I actually like Rascal Flatts. I think they are an outstanding group. So don't pound me with email and responses about Rascal Flatts! But do you know the lyrics to that song? If not, I will include them for you. How about the old country gospel song? Do you know the lyrics to that one? If not, I will include them for you as well.

Read through the lyrics. Read Trey Morgan's post and then respond back with any of your thoughts about these two analogies of life.

Life is a Highway by Tom Cochrane

Life's like a road that you travel on
When there's one day here and the next day gone
Sometimes you bend and sometimes you stand
Sometimes you turn your head to the wind
There's a world outside ev'ry darkened door
Where blues won't haunt you anymore
Where brave are free and lovers soar
Come ride with me to the distant shore
We won't hesitate
Break down the garden's gate
There's not much time left today

Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

Through all these cities and all these towns
It's in my blood and it's all around
I love you now like I loved you then
This is the road and these are the hands
From Mozambique to those Memphis nights
The Khyber Pass to Vancouver's lights

Knock me down get back up again
You're in my blood
I'm not a lonely man
There's no load I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors

Gimme gimme gimme gimme yeah
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long
There was a distance between you and I
A misunderstanding once
But now we look in the eye

There ain't no load that I can't hold
Road so rough this I know
I'll be there when the light comes in
Just tell 'em we're survivors

Life is a highway
I wanna ride it all night long
If you're going my way
I wanna drive it all night long

and

Life is Like a Mountain Railroad by Eliza R. Snow and M.E. Abbey

Life is like a mountain railroad, with an engineer that’s brave;
We must make the run successful, from the cradle to the grave;
Watch the curves, the hills, the tunnels; never falter, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

You will roll up grades of trial; you will cross the bridge of strife;
See that Christ is your Conductor on this lightning train of life;
Always mindful of obstruction, do your duty, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

You will often find obstructions; look for storms of wind and rain;
On a hill, or curve, or trestle, they will almost ditch your train;
Put your trust alone in Jesus; never falter, never fail;
Keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.

As you roll across the trestle, spanning Jordan’s swelling tide,
You behold the Union Depot into which your train will glide;
There you’ll meet the Superintendent, God the Father, God the Son,
With extended hand He'll great us, “Weary pilgrim, welcome home!”

Bless'd Savior, Thou wilt guide us,
Till we reach that blissful shore;
Where the angels wait to join us
In Thy praise forevermore.