Verses from Mama

Hearing God speak one Bible verse at a time.

A Letter To A Condemned Criminal

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Luke 23:17-21 “[Now he (Pilate) was obliged to release to them at the feast one prisoner.] But they cried out all together, saying, “Away with this man, and release for us Barabbas!” (He was the one who had been thrown into prison for an insurrection made in the city, and for murder.) Pilate, wanting to release Jesus, addressed them again, but they kept on calling out, saying, “Crucify, crucify Him!”

Dear Barabbas,

How are you?

Picture courtesy of The Bible in Pictures for Little Eyes by Kenneth N. Taylor.

Oh, I suppose that was not a good question. How could any man condemned to death on a Roman cross be anything but crippled with fear? I wish your present hardships had never happened, but your past decisions have placed you in a very desperate situation. You must have known that participating in rebellions against the Roman government would be very dangerous. Yet you still attempted these treacherous actions and in the process got caught up in horrible terrorist crimes resulting in murder and more. I am sure at the time you thought you were being brave and courageous, fighting for what you believed in, but it is easy to get caught up in emotions and follow them to your fate.

Does the slow drip, drip of condensation puddling in your damp cell ever cause you to rethink your actions? Not that you could change your consequences now. Even if you were to beg and scream for mercy, there would be no respite. Justice must be done and your crimes paid for, and the Roman way is excruciating death on a rugged cross. I don’t envy your circumstances. Even the thought of all you will endure in beatings, mocking, and puncture wounds from the sturdy nails fastening your limbs to wood beams causes my legs to grow weak. But let’s face it – you deserve it! If you do the crime, then you must do the time!

But wait – what’s that? There is a commotion outside your prison walls. I can’t see everything that’s happening because the crowds are swarming the pavilion, but it seems they are very angry. There is another prisoner standing on the platform for sentencing. The people are accusing him of misleading the nation and calling himself the King of the Jews. He looks harmless enough – not a hardened criminal like you are – but the mobs sure don’t like him.

Oh Barabbas! This just might be your LUCKY DAY! The great Pilate wants to release this new prisoner, Jesus of Nazareth, but the crowds are swelling and screaming for his death. They have demanded that the frazzled ruler follow through on the Roman custom of releasing one prisoner during this Passover celebration. It is obvious that Pilate, believing him to be innocent, wants to release this Jesus of Nazareth, but the crowd is screaming YOUR name.

Despite all you have done and deserve, this other man is going to take your punishment.

Your cross is going to be His cross.

Your suffering His suffering!

Barabbas, do you understand? You are going to be set free!!

Dear one, this is all too good to be true. It is a chance of a lifetime. I hope this incredible mercy will change you. You are getting a second chance. Thank God for this unexpected gift of life in allowing this man Jesus to die for you.

This is not the end, and I will look forward to seeing you soon.

Sincerely,

A Friend

Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

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Whom Are You Going To Believe?

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Titus 1:1-2 “Paul, a bond-servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, for the faith of those chosen of God and the knowledge of the truth which is according to godliness, in the hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised long ago . . .”

Black and white, tall and short, high and low, new and old – these comparisons all have something in common: they are opposites. Each adjective describes something, and by virtue of having one quality, the other one doesn’t fit. If an item is black, then it isn’t white. If it is tall, then it isn’t short, and so forth. Even a child can understand the differences in certain things when they look at the noticeable characteristics. These contrasts are particularly apparent when it comes to humans and God. When measuring the two against each other, there is absolutely no comparison.

Paul points out a particular attribute of God in the opening verses of his letter to Titus to prove this point and to foster faith in the trustworthiness of His word. Titus was up against a large problem. He was serving God on the island of Crete where many rebellious men were teaching things contrary to the Scripture. These unscrupulous teachers planned their lessons with thought only for how they could make a personal profit. In the process they were upsetting whole families with their deception.

In seeking to restore truth to this confused community, Paul started his letter with his personal credentials. He was a bondservant of God who was proclaiming the truth in obedience. He was also an apostle of Jesus Christ, which gave him the authority to speak for God about the hope of eternal life with confidence. His message was based on what God had spoken long ages ago, and it was completely true because God cannot lie. It was not that God didn’t lie, but that according to His nature He could not lie.

What a contrast this was to the other Cretans who were known to be untruthful. Even one of their own prophets called out their reputation for being liars, evil beasts, and lazy gluttons.

For those who were confused about the truth, the answer should be obvious. Whom were they going to believe – the ones known to be liars or the One Who could not lie?

Today we face a similar crisis. The world is full of people who spout intelligent sounding jargon that differs from what the Bible says. There are times when our circumstances cause us to doubt our faith and wonder if we should listen to those around us who have easy solutions. Sometimes a voice in our head second-guesses God’s love and control over our life. With all these messages floating around, whom are we going to believe?

When you don’t understand the swirl of confusion that is threatening to upset your life and even the lives of your whole family, consider the opposites. Decide whom you are going to believe – the untrustworthy voices all around you or the One Who by nature cannot lie!

Love,

Mama

Family Gathering in Heaven

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1 Timothy 6:19 “In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.”jumping-in-leaves

The holidays are a time of gathering. Throughout the world families celebrate special events and days together. It can be a time of happiness and a time of sadness as loved ones reflect on the gifts God has given them and the difficulties they have been through. But for those whose eyes are fixed on Jesus Christ the holidays are a time to tighten our grasp on our sure hope of eternal life.

Wow! What a week! We worked up until the last minute and waited with anticipation the arrival of family members who celebrated the Thanksgiving holiday with us. We ate. We laughed. We stayed up late watching movies. We talked. We held our newest family member, cousin Verity. We played games. We ice skated. We raked leaves. We enjoyed. Yet there was sadness too.

There was sadness that we could not all be together. Families stretch and shrink over the years. In a busy world it is not always possible to reunite as work schedules, distance, and illness often have their say. But praise the Lord this is not the end.

God’s children do not put their trust in the riches of this present world. Nor do we hope in things that are seen. We recognize that our blessings are not things to be horded, but shared. We desire to obey God by doing good, being rich in good deeds and generosity, being willing to share. In this way our greatest treasures and celebrations will be in heaven where we will enjoy them forever.

Someday we will gather at heaven’s banquet table. We will eat. We will laugh. We will sing. We will praise. We will be full of thanksgiving. And there will be no sadness because every member of God’s family will be present – even those we have not yet met from every tribe and nation on earth. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. Now that’s a holiday gathering to look forward to!!

Love,

Mama

 

While You Were Sleeping

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Ephesians 5:14 “Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.”

IMG_2987You miss a lot of things while you are sleeping. I should know because inevitably I sink into a deep slumber every time our family sits down to watch a movie. I can’t even count the number of half movies I have watched. But ask me how the desperate crisis or thrilling romance ended and I couldn’t tell you. The plot thickened, the climax came . . . and I was dead to the world on the couch.

You can miss good things while you are sleeping, but you can also miss trouble signs. Quite a number of winters ago Dad and I tucked all you kids in bed, and settled ourselves in as well. It had been a particularly exhausting day so I conked out immediately. Dad had a cold and took some Benedryl to help him breathe.

Sometime in the night I woke up with a strange feeling. Descending the stairs to the kitchen I was surprised to step into a puddle. Turning on the light I panicked to find water pouring through the ceiling, flooding the TV room and bathroom. I yelled for Dad who didn’t respond immediately as the Benedryl had knocked him senseless.

While the river of water cascaded from the kitchen overhead light I stared at the spray like a tourist visiting a mini Niagra Falls for the first time. Finally I came to my senses, and urgently made a phone call to get some help. In my stupor it never even occurred to me to run to the basement and shut off the water valve.

You may wonder why I couldn’t think straight in this desperate situation, but that is what a deep sleep can do to a person. The brain shuts down and doesn’t process correctly. Satan knows this and that is why he lulls people into a spiritual sleep. If he succeeds at drawing victims into slumberland, they will not know what he is doing. They will not be aware of the fate that awaits them for eternity if they don’t take their spiritual condition seriously.

Young people fall asleep as they are entranced by all the stimulation around them. Who wants to think about spiritual things when you can focus your attention on Netflix, video games, or social media? Who has time to know God and seek to understand the salvation He has to offer when you are late for your next sporting event or music recital?

Middle-aged people fall asleep as they are hypnotized by what they need to accomplish. There is a career to grow and money to be made. There are bills to pay and a family to raise. Don’t forget the children’s school activities and volunteer organizations. This is the time to make something of yourself. Maybe you will wake up and think of your eternal destiny later. There’s plenty of time!

Older people fall asleep because they are tired. They have spent years working and living. Maybe they have even followed God’s ways, but now they are growing older and think that they have life under control. They’ve been there and done that. There is no reason to be on the alert! Meanwhile the movie continues on. The plot thickens. The climax approaches.

“Awake, sleeper, and arise from the dead…”

Now is the time to think of eternity!

Now is the time to accept Christ as Savior!

Now is the time to warn your family and friends of the disaster waiting if they are not right with God!

If you do not act now you may wake up and realize the pipes burst and water is rapidly filling the kitchen. Or worse yet you or a loved one has passed from this earth without knowing Jesus and missing the chance for  salvation and an eternity in heaven.

And it all happened while you were sleeping!

Love,

Mama

 

With God Death Means Life!

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John 11:25-26 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

With God death means life!

Sheridans 2005&2006 171

Remember this family trip to West Union to tour Grandma Sheridan’s childhood home and to visit the grave sites of long gone family members?

At some point in our lives, each of us will come face to face with death. For some of us a loved one or dear friend will pass away. For others our own mortality will become apparent with the diagnosis of a dread disease or a fatal accident. There is no escaping the reality that living brings; death comes to us all. But with God death means life!

Lazarus was sick – very sick. His sisters were desperately concerned and sent a message to Jesus. The Master was very close to them. They knew He loved their family very much and would want to know about Lazarus. They were confident that He would come to their aid. They had seen Him do many miracles over the years and knew that their only hope for Lazarus’ recovery lay within His power.

Jesus received the sisters’ urgent message, but instead of immediately coming to their aid, He purposefully chose to wait two more days. He knew that this delay would bring about Lazarus’s physical death but still He chose to wait. This does not sound very loving at first glance, but Jesus knew something the sisters did not know: with God death means life!

Through Lazarus’ untimely death:

  1. Jesus brought a living faith to the family.

      Martha told Jesus that she believed in Him, but her faith only went so far. She believed her brother would rise again in the resurrection on the last day, but she failed to understand Jesus’s power to bring him from the grave right then. Jesus did not want to fix the problem by making Lazarus well. He wanted to give him a new life.

  1. Jesus brought active obedience through this death.

      Mary and Martha needed to trust and obey Jesus’s instructions even though they didn’t understand. When He asked them to roll the stone away, they were called upon to act out their belief regardless of their understanding.

  1. Jesus brought spiritual life-giving belief to the onlookers who saw the resurrection.

      Many who were witnesses to this miracle believed in Jesus and received the spiritual eternal life that could only come through Him.

  1. Jesus brought the finished work of eternal life a step closer as this miracle launched Him towards the cross.

Though many believed in Jesus, there were others whose hatred increased to the point of developing a plan to kill Him. This death was necessary for all who would believe to receive the eternal life that God had promised.

This incredible miracle moved those who believed to a greater capacity for faith in God’s ability to bring life from death. In just a short time they would watch Jesus be led up a hill, nailed to a cross, and die. They wouldn’t understand all that was happening, and would be confused and bewildered. But three days later they would witness Christ’s resurrection from the dead. This amazing act would prove that God truly could bring life from death; and not just physical life, but spiritual life. Because Christ died and rose again, all who believe would be able to live forever.

Jesus told Martha when Lazarus was still cold in the grave, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Death for us is a very sad and lonely experience. The finality of it weighs on our hearts. But for those who believe in Jesus, the Son of God, death always means life.

The death of Christ brought eternal life.

The death of a believing loved one brings eventual reunion.

A believer’s own death brings life with God in heaven for eternity.

Why did Jesus wait two days when Lazarus was so sick? Was it uncaring and unloving? Not at all!

Jesus had much better plans for Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and us.

With God death brings life.

Love,

Mama

How much was that?

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Good Morning,
The verse of the day is Luke 14:28. “For which one of you, when he wants to build a tower, does not first sit down and calculate the cost to see if he has enough to complete it?”

Making a decision to follow Jesus involves a large cost. Yes, God’s gift of salvation is free – Christ paid the price for our sins when He took our punishment on the cross, but following Him has a steep price tag. It is essential to think about the price before you make a decision to commit yourself as a disciple of Jesus Christ.  In other words, one needs to count the cost.
I am not a very good shopper. In fact I really don’t like it much at all. I go only when necessary, zip through the aisles as quickly as possible, grab what I need, and head to the checkout. Every once in a while I do come across a great bargain. The other day I found it. As I was buzzing through town I stopped at a yard sale. I quickly perused the items, picked up a few things including my one dollar bargain, wrote my check, and left. 
Sometime later I stopped to show Grandma my prizes. I was telling her about the one dollar steal when she said, “Sandy, this wasn’t one dollar. It was fifteen dollars.” 
“What!” I screamed as I grabbed the purchase. Sure enough, somehow I missed the all important 5 that was written next to the 1. The fact that I did not take the time to count the cost properly cost me 15 times more than I expected. 
When we decide to follow Jesus we give our lives completely over to Him. We no longer belong to ourselves but to the One who purchased us through His death. The old way of life, the way of the sinful world, has to be abandoned because we now have a new master. 
Though God loves us and desires to give us abundant life as well as eternal life, this doesn’t mean that life will always be easy. There are times when friends and family members will not understand our commitment or the new choices we are making.  They will want the “old you” back. Would you be willing to follow Jesus even if it means losing your family and friends?
Sometimes we are asked to give up personal dreams and goals to be replaced with God’s plan for our lives. Other times He may ask us to move away from loved ones and our roots to go to a place that He has called us to – that’s what Abraham was asked to do. Maybe there will even come a time when we will be asked to die for our faith. 
Yes, the cost of salvation is free, but the price of discipleship is very high. Even so, there are some things that are worth a high price. Following Jesus, no matter what price you are asked to pay, is worth every tear, every goodbye, every struggle. Through it all God will never leave you alone. All you need to do is follow Him down a path that He has already travelled before you. 
The pleasures of this world last only for a short time and end in death. But by accepting God’s way and paying the price to follow Him wholeheartedly you will receive eternal life. These momentary afflictions produce for us an eternal glory far beyond comparison.
Next time you are looking for a bargain don’t forget to look closely at the price tag. Consider the cost of being a disciple of Jesus carefully. I think you will find it is definitely worth the cost.
Love,
Mama

The Great Potato Crop

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Good Morning,
The verse of the day is John 12:24. “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (NASB)

This weekend Dad started digging up potatoes. The cool September weather was perfect to begin uncovering this buried treasure. You carefully penetrate the earth at the base of the hill with your fork, turn over the soil, and examine what you find.  The dirt falls through the fork tines leaving an abundance of tubers.
I am always amazed at the harvest when I think back to the spring when we first planted the seeds. From down in the root cellar we excavate all the left over potatoes from the year before. They have gotten old and started to get soft. But the amazing thing is that from these useless potato leftovers sprouts have begun to grow. By cutting pieces containing potato eyes and planting them in the newly turned earth they begin to take root. When the autumn rolls around you can easily expect to harvest 5-10 new fresh potatoes from each plant. What an investment!
Jesus used the example of a grain of wheat falling into the earth and dying. One little grain when it dies will grow into a plant that bears much fruit. He was explaining that His time to die was about to come. It would seem like such a waste to those who loved Him, but in giving up His life many other lives would receive the opportunity to live. This was the only way to save the world from the spiritual death of eternal separation from God. The fruit of His resurrected life would be all those who believed in Him and accepted the everlasting life He offered. 
Jesus also calls all who would follow Him to this same kind of sacrifice – first being willing to give up the right to our own life and letting Him be our Master. Then to live our lives to glorify God and let our light shine before others so they may see the new life we have received and desire it for themselves. “He who loves his life loses it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it to life eternal.” 

Some believers have actually been called to give their physical lives for the sake of the gospel, but all of us are called to be living sacrifices. This is our spiritual act of service to the One who gave up everything for us. We no longer live for ourselves but for God. Galatians 2:20 says, “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, Who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”
Learn a lesson from dead shriveled up potatoes. In letting them die and planting them in the ground, they produced a crop that will keep us fed this winter. By accepting Christ as your Savior and allowing your old way of living to die with Him, He will produce the amazing crop of eternal life for you and for all those around you who believe. Now that is something that is worth the investment!
Love,
Mama

The Woman at the Well

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Good Morning,
The verse of the day is John 4:39. “From that city many of the Samaritans believed in Him because of the word of the woman…”

The knot tightened in her stomach as it did every day when noon approached.  After furtively glancing out the window, she hoisted the water jug onto her shoulder and began the hot trek through town to the community well. 
As she approached the familiar site the knot squeezed even tighter. “Oh, great!” she thought anxiously, “There’s a strange man resting by the well. What am I going to do now?” 

Galvanizing her resolve, she cautiously stepped forward, “Ok, it’s too late to turn back, so just draw the water quickly and make a fast exit. He looks exhausted, so maybe he won’t even notice I’m here.”


Taking a deep breath, she focused her attention on her approach to the well. To her great surprise, the man spoke, “Give me a drink.” Briefly looking around to see if someone else had arrived at the water source and seeing no one, she answered, “How is it that You, being a Jew, ask me for a drink since I am a Samaritan woman?” (She knew all too well that Jews never had dealings with Samaritans.) His reply startled and amazed her. “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water.”

Her eyes narrowed with suspicion as she pointed out that He had no bucket with which to draw water from the deep well. “Where do you get this living water you speak of? Are you greater than our father, Jacob, who gave us this well and drank of it himself along with his sons and cattle?”

The man’s answer surprised and confused her greatly, “Everyone who drinks of this water will thirst again; but whoever drinks of the water that I give him shall never thirst; but the water that I will give him will become in him a well of water springing up to eternal life.”

Her mind raced with the possibilities, “If I can secure this special water I may never have to visit this well again. Never again will I need to face the degrading looks or endure the hushed whispers of the other more upright men and women of this town.” “Sir, give me this water, so I will not be thirsty nor come all the way here to draw.”

Her short-lived excitement dissipated at his next request, “Go, call your husband and come here.” Her eyes widened at His reply to her feeble excuse that she had no husband. “You are right in what you say for you have had five husbands, and the one whom you now have is not your husband.”

Thinking fast she tried to redeem the conversation that had begun to spiral out of her control. She reached back into the recesses of her mind to bring up anything that would sound spiritual. But the man answered every one of her attempts with words that were wise and yet compassionate. Finally, in her confusion she stated her only hope, “I know that Messiah is coming (the One they call Christ); when that One comes, He will explain all these things.” Her heart skipped a beat as the import of His next words sank deep into her broken soul, “I Who speak to you am He.”

With tears filling her eyes, she abandoned her water pot and ran the distance to town. Her mind raced with overwhelming thoughts. “This man, the Messiah, spoke to me, of all people. No one has even given me the time of day and yet He, knowing all my brokenness, still cared enough to offer what I thought I could never have – eternal life! I must tell everyone to come meet Him!”

A changed woman reentered the town square that day and everyone took notice. Her testimony of all she had heard and seen piqued curiosity. The townspeople came to the well to meet this One she told of and many believed  in Him, not only because of her word, but because they heard for themselves.
May we see each person we meet with the eyes of Jesus: for those despised by the world are desired by God.
Love,
Mama







The Sting of Death

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Good Morning,
The verse of the day is Romans 6:23. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Billy jogged home under the hot Nebraska sun. He carried in his pocket a treasure he had found in the field and he couldn’t wait to show his mother and sister. As he ran up the front steps, the banging door alerted them that he was home. Dashing into the kitchen Billy exclaimed, “Look what I found!” Emptying his pockets he extended his hand to reveal a tiny baby snake. His sister screamed and ran into the other room, but his mother bent down for a closer look.  “Billy!” she exclaimed, “You can’t keep that snake. Look at the rattle on his tale. This tiny rattler will grow big and become very dangerous. You must take it outside right now and kill it before it can hurt anyone.”
Billy dejectedly turned to go outside and comply with his mother’s request when he had a thought. “I don’t have to kill it right now. I could hide the little guy in a box in the barn – at least until I can show my friends. Then I will kill it and Mom will never know.” His morale rose as he headed towards the barn to follow through with his plan. He found a box with a lid, fastened it down with a stone and went back to his play excited that he had bought some more time.
Weeks passed and every day that Billy went out to check on his new pet he considered whether he should kill it. He kept putting it off for a more convenient time. One day he came home from school and met an upsetting sight. His dog, Spot, was laying in the barn swollen and barely breathing. Billy grabbed him and brought him to the house, but it was too late – Spot was dead! On examination, his mother confirmed that he had been bitten by a rattlesnake. 
Billy’s heart skipped a beat as he ran back out to the barn. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw the empty box that had contained his rattlesnake. He searched through the loose straw until he found it and killed it with a pitchfork, but not before the venom had done its damage.  Spot was dead!

Through the years, my brother and I listened to this story over and over on our family’s record player. Billy learned a lesson and we did too. Sin always has consequences.  Romans 6:23 says, “The wages of sin is death.” By accepting God’s gift of salvation we can be free from death’s sting.  Even after becoming a Christian we continually need to “kill” sin in our lives. When we allow it to live, it will grow and eventually wreak havoc and cause destruction and even death. Ask God for forgiveness and  for grace to do whatever it takes to remove the temptation.

When sin shows up in your life, immediately take it out behind the barn and kill it.

Love,
Mama