Father's Day

it's not Father's Day yet but it's close and it is on my mind because I have not sent my Dad his card yet which will never make it to the States in time now. partly because it is in a box with stuff i am mailing, one thing i did not get until this past thursday. but that is something for my Mom... Dad is a hard guy to buy for. he's got everything he needs and pretty much everything he wants. except maybe a million or so dollars so he can just have someone else to mow the yard and do the projects around the house. i don't think he minds that too much anyway.

so i'm probably going to end up getting him something like a best buy gift card (shhh...don't tell). that will get there before the Father's Day card itself in the box. he always seems to be able to find something he likes there and he can pick something for his camera, or movies or most likely a computer program.

some people just have a gift (for lack of a better word) for giving great gifts. gifts that capture the hearts of the recipients. wish i was one of those people... Brad's brother Bruce and his wife Alice are like that. their gifts are always so special and meaningful...absolutely perfect! it is like they have such incredible insight into the people they are buying for - they just KNOW.

speaking of gift-giving and Fathers, it would be just absolutely impossible to write about these things and not write about my Father in heaven, who gave me the most meaningful gift i've ever received. even though i did some really horrible things (in other words sinned!) as a teenager, and when i was older even. things i'm not proud of.

yes it is in the past, but it was still hanging over me. still 'out there'. even though i was really sorry for them and even though some people in my life had forgiven me. even though my life had changed a lot, there was still sin there. (details omitted!) but when i learned that Jesus' dying for the sins of the world meant MY sins...i knew i needed that gift from God. and when i asked for it. He gave it to me.

all sins forgiven, all errors forgiven. past, present and future. does this mean i would never do anything wrong again and live happily ever after...? no. but He did not just leave me floundering. He gave me His Spirit within me to change me. in the Gospel of John, chapter 16, before Jesus was crucified he told the apostles, 'It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you.' and later he also said 'when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth.'

doesn't happen overnight. doesn't happen for a really long time if i insist on being bull-headed or deny my wrong thoughts and actions. but the Spirit is always there. and now if i do something sinful, like think something bad towards someone, immediately the Spirit makes me sensitive to it. He is changing my heart and healing me. day by day, little by little. the goal is ultimately to be 'conformed to the image of His Son' - which takes a lifetime.

Jesus said in Matthew 5: 21,22 "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment."

God told the Israelites the same thing after they left the slavery in Egypt. In the Ten Commandments He said 'Thou shalt not kill', but He gave the Israelites many other commands that He gave to His people so that they would be different than the rest of the world. set apart. holy. (e.g. Leviticus 19:16-18)

so God has never changed His stance on what is sinful. He is holy and unchanging. He just so dramatically changed how we can be forgiven. way back in the day, sin was forgiven by the shedding of blood. even Adam and Eve were forgiven by God - He did the sacrifice for He clothed them in animal skins - so blood was shed for the covering of their sin. then for the Israelites it was the sacrificing of animals, which had to be done over and over again.

in Hebrews 10:3-4 it says 'But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.' that is why the people kept on sinning and kept on sacrificing.

Jesus is the perfect sacrifice. once and for all. does not matter who you are or what you have done. once you accept this gift, God gives you His love to give to others, His ability to forgive - and so on. it is called the 'fruit of the Spirit'. in Galatians 5:22-23 it says 'For the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against these things there is no law.' So the longer the Spirit works in you, this fruit should become more evident.

my life has never been more challenging, more exciting, more fulfilling, more beautiful, more difficult or more real.

Father God I pray for all of those who do not know you as Father, that they would see the beauty and perfection of Your gift. nothing we can do to earn it. but it is freely available to all who seek it and accept it. who repent and live for You. thank You for Your perfect love, and for setting the example of what a Father should be so that no one should feel unloved or unwanted in this world if they know You. Amen.