Restoration

1 Corinthians 3:16
Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 

Proverbs 24:3-4
By wisdom a house is built,
    and through understanding it is established;
through knowledge its rooms are filled
    with rare and beautiful treasures.

I'm fascinated by this truth—when a house is abandoned, it falls in to disrepair.

As my husband and I drove around the city, we noticed so many abandoned homes. It was sad to see places that once housed people in such poor repair. I thought about the laughter, shared meals, and life that once dwelled there. Kind of like a person who loved God then turned away from him. An emptiness of neglect fills the space.

HGTV and other channels are filled with television shows about restoring neglected and dilapidated houses. On Maine Cabin Masters, the carpenters restore cabins for folks who want a safe and beautiful place to relax. At the beginning of each episode, we see the damage done by animals, rot, and time. Chase Morell and his team of Mainers start with demo day where they strip the house down to the bones, and remove all the nastiness. Before they can start the remodel, they reset the foundation and make sure the house is secure. Once that's finished, they transform the place into a lovely, livable space.

1 Corinthians reminds me my body is God's temple, or his home. Like a house, my body can fall into disrepair. Maybe I haven't taken care of my physical needs. I'm sick and don't seek the proper care, or I fail to exercise like I should. I'll feel the effects of the neglect. What if I haven't taken time to keep myself mentally alert or healthy? My anxiety causes me to worry. What if I ignore my spiritual needs or step away from God into sin? My soul feels abandoned and empty. When that happens, I'm broken and distraught.

When I suffer from spiritual neglect, I first need to restore my relationship with God, seek forgiveness and rebuild my spiritual foundation. Without a firm foundation the house will crumble and fall. Jesus, the one who shores me up, gives me a solid base. Through Bible reading and prayer, the Holy Spirit speaks to my soul with wisdom and understanding. God secures my foundation, and I fill up with his rare and beautiful treasures. His hope and grace pour into the spaces of what was once an empty, desolate place. God wants to dwell in his temple with the people He loves.

Invite God to dwell in you.

Sunrise---Sunset

2 Peter 3:9
The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.

Linus, of Charlie Brown fame, starts each day with a fresh blanket.

Photo by Maggie Wickline-Jowers

I don't often wake up in time to witness the sunrise. Yet, I know every day that bright star lights our world from dawn until dusk. With the morning I'm given the gift of a new day, an opportunity to start fresh on my journey with Jesus. While I attempt to follow the Holy Spirit's lead each day, some days I fumble through on my own and make a mess.

On the days I fail miserably, I bow my head as the sun sets and ask God to forgive me.

And he does.

The Lord gives second chances. His patience amazes me. I would have been done with me a long time ago. Not God. He calls me to repent when sin strangles me and drags me to the ground. He reminds me how much he loves me and wants me to understand I'm not alone. Instead I'm loved and accepted as his child.

I'm thankful for sunrise, a new beginning every morning. I'm even more thankful for sunset, a time to reflect on my day and seek God's grace.

Jesus calls everyone to repent, to throw off the burden of sin, and follow him.

If you haven't accepted Jesus love and grace, he asks us to hear his word (or read it), believe he is the son of God who died and rose to life, confess our sins, repent (turn away from a life chasing sinful things toward a life of hope and joy), be baptized and receive the Holy Spirit (our comfort and guide,) and be obedient.

 Jesus loves us and wants us to live a life of abundance.

It's Messy

Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Forgiveness is hard.

I was probably five years old when I learned my first lesson in forgiveness. Our family visited my aunt and uncle. On their coffee table sat an enticing bowl of candy (I'm trying to blame the bowl.) When we got ready to leave, I snatched a couple of pieces and stuck them in my pocket. When Mom tucked me in she

picked up my pants and out fell the two pieces of foil wrapped delight. "Did Uncle Lynn give these to you?" My little head shook a slow no. "Did you ask before you took them?" Another head shake no. "Tomorrow we'll take them back and you can apologize to your aunt and uncle." I'm sure my eyes were big as saucers as I nodded. "Now you need to tell God you're sorry for taking something that didn't belong to you." I prayed and asked God to forgive me.

I often write about grace and the beautiful act of God's love. But I think sometimes I forget about the messiness of forgiveness. The word of God, in black and white (sometimes red) lays out what God considers sin. As I think about the many acts God points out as sin, He's selected them to protect me. But the thing is, God gives me the choice to follow his wisdom or not. But I know, even when I fail, God has my back. He's given me a way to come clean through the blood of Jesus Christ.

Forgiveness frees us from sin, and the act of forgiving another person frees us from hate and anger. Yes—it's messy. Sometimes it's easier to hold a grudge or become complacent. But the anger toward the other person burns a hole in the heart. I've been there, both needing forgiveness and offering forgiveness. In both situations, God lifted my burden and filled me with peace.

God offers forgiveness and hope to everyone. Seek him.

He Opened Their Minds

Luke 24:36-47

While they [the disciples] were still talking about this, Jesus himself stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.”

They were startled and frightened, thinking they saw a ghost. He said to them, “Why are you troubled, and why do doubts rise in your minds? Look at my hands and my feet. It is I myself! Touch me and see; a ghost does not have flesh and bones, as you see I have.”

When he had said this, he showed them his hands and feet. And while they still did not believe it because of joy and amazement, he asked them, “Do you have anything here to eat?” They gave him a piece of broiled fish, and he took it and ate it in their presence.

He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.”

Then he opened their minds so they could understand the Scriptures. He told them, “This is what is written: The Messiah will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance for the forgiveness of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. ”

Easter—the day we remember Jesus' resurrection from the dead.

Prophets spoke of the Messiah, how he would die and on the third day break the chains of death. The Lord himself taught the disciples about his purpose on earth. They traveled with him and witnessed miracles. They heard the Pharisees mock him. Every one of them knew Jesus' story inside and out. But here they were humming and hawing about the very truth he showed them.

They thought they saw a ghost.

They'd witnessed Jesus being drug through the streets and beaten. Yet, the man they loved and missed, the one they'd seen nailed to a cross, and placed in a tomb, dead as could be—stood in front of them in full flesh and blood and declared victory over the grave.

Peter's guilty conscious plucked at him because he had cowered and denied he ever knew him. Thomas shook his head in disbelief. The other disciples stood with their mouths hanging open. Yet, Jesus didn't give up. He opened their minds to the truth.

In this time of pandemic, stop doubting and open your minds to the truth and hope of Jesus. The world is a mess. Not just from COVID-19, but from evil and sin. That's the bad news. The good news is, Jesus opened the doors to hope and heaven.

Jesus stands with outstretched hands in hopes everyone will trust in him.

I thank God for the opportunity to worship my Savior this Easter. Let's sing praises to him from our couches. Lift up prayers from our living rooms. Search our hearts and accept Jesus as Savior. He died so we can live, here on earth with purpose and one day with Him in heaven.

Celebrate Easter with Him!