Saturday, March 13, 2010

Weekend Edition

Today's Scripture Verses
John 14:2-4 from the New American Standard Bible
"In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also. And you know the way where I am going."

1 Corinthians 2:6-10 from the Message
We, of course, have plenty of wisdom to pass on to you once you get your feet on firm spiritual ground, but it's not popular wisdom, the fashionable wisdom of high-priced experts that will be out-of-date in a year or so. God's wisdom is something mysterious that goes deep into the interior of his purposes. You don't find it lying around on the surface. It's not the latest message, but more like the oldest—what God determined as the way to bring out his best in us, long before we ever arrived on the scene. The experts of our day haven't a clue about what this eternal plan is. If they had, they wouldn't have killed the Master of the God-designed life on a cross. That's why we have this Scripture text:

No one's ever seen or heard anything like this,
Never so much as imagined anything quite like it—
What God has arranged for those who love him.
But you've seen and heard it because God by his Spirit has brought it all out into the open before you.

1 Corinthians 2:9 From the New International Version (NIV)
However, as it is written:  "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him."

Thoughts on todays scripture
God has prepared, has arranged a place for those who love Him. So would it be safe to say that heaven is a prepared place for a prepared people?  Think about it - there are many, many things in life that people prepare for.  A high school prom or dance, a wedding, a higher education for a specific career.  Saving for that "rainy day" and preparing for retirement and sometimes even advance preparations for our final departure (we so hate to say death and even I prefer to refer to it as the ultimate Passover). 

Unfortunately, more often than not, we expect that God is preparing for us our home, our eternal destination.  But what are we preparing for?  Are we becoming more Christ-like?  Are we studying the Word and applying it to our everyday life?  Are we being set apart for His ultimate use?  Understand, I'm not accusing, I'm merely questioning, and even at that, it is mostly questions I'm posing to myself.

Today, after being in "the market place" I began to wonder about some things.  Things such as, "when did it become socially acceptable for women to wear pajama bottoms and slippers in public?" And why are women using such unseemly speech?  Trust me, I work in a prison environment and I hear a lot of course language from not only the inmates and staff, but often it comes from women who seem to want to have to prove something.  And that something seems to be "I'm just a qualified as any man, see?  I can even use this language to prove the point and drive it home." 

And cell phone use in public and in automobiles.  Has it's use become more than that of a convenient tool, but that of a measue of popularity?  Seriously, I look at those in the store with the bluetooth technology stuck in their ear and I'm ever so reminded of the early Star Trek with Lt. Uhura's similar appratus stuck in her ear.  And let's be honest - how often do we hear a cell phone going off in church or worse, observe someone texting? 

But I digress.  The topic was that of preparation, His and ours.  In some of the blogs I've read this week, some very dear loved ones have made the trek home, to that place that was lovingly prepared for them.  Even though the thought of them 'passing over' causes grief and heartbreak we can trust the One who loves them best to know when the time is right.  I know some of you are experiencing this loss and my heart goes out to you.  May the God of all comfort surround you with His love and His peace.

Yours, because we're His,
~Tamara

4 comments:

  1. Thank you for this post Tamara, I feel like it was written just for me but I know there are many who are in pain over losing loved ones tonight.
    I agree with the poor manners and bad actions of some people in public.....I think they are looking for attention and are very insecure.....they need our prayers.
    ......:-) Hugs

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  2. Thank you, Tamara for such a beautiful message. So much wisdom can be found in such a small but well written text. May the Lord continue to bless you and use you through this ministry.
    Myriam

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  3. I am so thankful the Lord has
    prepared a place for us to be
    with Him forever. It is such
    a wonderful blessing to know
    death is defeated and we do
    not have it fear it. The only
    true comfort we can receive
    from the passing of a loved
    one is knowing they are with
    Him, if they've accepted Jesus
    as Savior.

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  4. Beautiful, uplifting, inspirational post.
    Thank you.

    I loved what you wrote about God Welcoming loved ones when He knows the time is right.
    And I was struck by what you wrote about the 'latest' spiritual advice we get from 'experts'. It's true, they always have a new take on the Eternal Word.
    I know there are many good people and I believe God's Wisdom does reach many people by inspiring others to write and share His Way, but it is funny to think of how some people almost seem to be trying to 'improve' the Word of God.

    Interesting post.
    All the best,
    Eileen

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