How to Make God Smile

How we make God smile....

The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him,

In those who trust in His mercy. 

 Psalm 147:11

The LORD loves the righteous.

Psalm 146:8

How God makes us smile...

                                     Praise be to the LORD,

   For He has heard my cry for mercy.

  The LORD is my strength and shield;

My heart trusts in Him and I am helped.

My heart leaps for joy

And I will give thanks to Him in song.

Psalm 28:6-7

What makes us both smile....

The LORD your God in your midst,

The Mighty One, will save;

He will rejoice over you with gladness,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing.

Zephaniah 3:17

Are Presidential Pardons For Real?

 

Part 1.

What makes a Presidential Pardon so important?

A Presidential Pardon is irrevocable. It cannot, under any circumstance, be overturned. Even a unanimous vote of the Congress -- even a 9-0 decision of the Supreme Court cannot "undo" or void the pardon. And any federal crime can be pardoned.

There is only one condition -- the pardon has to be accepted.

The condemned criminal has a choice.

In 1829, George Wilson was sentenced to death by hanging for federal mail theft and endangering the life of a mail carrier.

The President was Andrew Jackson (1829-1837, our 7th President). He felt the sentence was too severe.

He issued a pardon. Wilson refused it.

Why,  we don't know. Maybe he just wanted to die. Maybe  he wanted to be remembered as a victim or martyr. For whatever reason, he refused it.

 President Jackson contacted the prison ad demanded that they cancel the hanging They refused. Said they had no authority to do that. Jackson reminded them that he was the President and had the right to free Wilson.

It went to the Supreme Court -- the hanging was delayed as they considered the case.

In 1833 The US Supreme Court pronounced that a pardon was an "act of grace" and cannot be forced on anyone. It required acceptance to be valid. Rejection voided it.

George Wilson was hanged.

Part 2.

Without a pardon the convicted criminal is responsible to and accountable to the law.

George Wilson had been tried by a jury and found guilty. The judge had issued the sentence. Without a pardon his fate was determined by the law. He was not under grace, he was under the judgment of the court. That's what determined his future.

Sound familiar? It should! It's our story We are guilty of sin against God Himself, the Creator and Judge of everything. Our future is eternal separation and alienation from Him. Jesus talked about it, describing the horrors that await the guilty. But Jesus has offered us a pardon - to believe on Him and receive eternal life with Him in unimaginable glory. We are under grace.

It's clear -- "For God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whosoever believes on Him will not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him" (John 3:16-17).

This is our pardon -- not by a questionable autopen, but by the precious blood of Christ.

He is offering the pardon to us -- but we have to accept it. If we have no pardon we are tried and convicted under the law -- perfect obedience to God's law is required!

Frankly, I would not stand a chance.

I choose a Savior! I choose Jesus!

What about you?

Fanny Crosby reminds us --

"The vilest offender who truly believes, that moment from Jesus a pardon receives!"

That moment --

And the thief on the cross? "And Jesus said to him, 'Today you will be with Me in paradise!'"

Today!

Bundle of the Living

We were reading in 1 Samuel 25 - the beautiful story of David, Abigail and Nabal.

We came across this part of Abigail's message to David, honoring him:

...for the LORD will certainly make a lasting dynasty for my master, because he fights the LORD's battles. Let no wrong doing be found in you as long as you live. Even though someone is pursuing you to take your life, the life of my master will be bound securely in the bundle of the living by the LORD your God. But the lives of your enemies He will hurl away as from the pocket of a sling.   (1 Samuel 25:28-29)

I don't ever remember seeing  (or noticing)  the phrase "bundle of the living" before. What a beautiful thought! We are permanently bundled with God's people - under His protection. We are in His bundle of the living!


The New Living Translation says:

Even when you are chased by those who seek to kill you, your life is safe in the care of the LORD your God, secure in his treasure pouch! But the lives of your enemies will disappear like stones shot from a sling!

The New King James Version also uses the phrase: bound in the bundle of the living!


When we picture a bundle we think of various items grouped together, securely contained, wrapped or sealed, with nothing slipping out -- sometimes I bundle clothes to take to the washing machine. All different types of clothing - all together ih one bundle - I like that picture! In God's family we are all bundled together, safely in His arms -- one package made up of different kinds of items.

A bunch is different - a bunch or bananas, or a bunch of grapes. Those items are grouped together so we can pull one out. A bundle is different - each part is securely safeguarded against slipping or falling. Nothing can slip out of a bundle!

Why Not Believe?

                                            Why Not Believe?

I'm reading Romans 1. Since I love history it is a great chapter to describe the history of the world in just 32 verses!

Particularly striking to me this reading is verse 25: "They exchanged the truth about God for a lie."

We always exchange things voluntarily -- we want something else more.

That's true for all the gifts we receive. 

Maybe we want a different size or color. But for whatever reason, we want something else more.

I have read several studies recently recounting various debates and discussions between Christians and atheists.

I notice an interesting theme --  When a Christian asks an atheist, "If Christianity was proven to you to be true - if Christ were to be proven to be who He said He was - would you become a Christian?"

A surprising number say "No." 

Think of it: if demonstrable proof could be found to prove beyond a doubt that Jesus Christ was and is the Son of God and Creator of the world - if His claims were proven to be true -  if He were to appear on the stage in front of them and show His scars, they would still not follow Him! (And that's hard for me to believe!)

There is a lot of logical evidence for our faith. It is not a 'Leap into the dark" but a leap into the sensible light of clear thinking.

But this is a reminder that if people choose not to believe we are wasting our time trying to argue with them. 

We should still scatter seeds and pray for a harvest. But we must remember that faith is a gift from God Himself. And we must wait for Him to move.

We must still be obedient and spread the word, but the harvest is not up to us.

Some people, no matter what, will choose to exchange their gift for something else.

How can I be sure?

When God made His promise to Abraham, since there was no one greater for Him to swear by, He swore by Himself, saying, "I will surely bless you and give you many descendants."

And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.

Men swear by someone greater than themselves, and the oath confirms what is said and puts an end to all argument.

Because God wanted to make the unchanging nature of His purpose very clear to the heirs of what was promised, He confirmed it with an oath.

God did this so that, by two unchanging things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have fled to take hold of the hope offered to us may be great encouraged.
                                     -- Hebrews 6:13-18

What are the "two unchanging things" the writer of Hebrews is talking about?

The two unchanging things are (1) the original promise (covenant) God made with Abraham, and (2) the oath He made later to confirm it.

The story is told in Genesis 15.

The word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision:
     'Do not be afraid, Abram.
     I am your shield, your very great reward.

     '....Look up at the heavens and count the starts -- if indeed you
     can count them...so shall your offspring be.

     Abram believed the LORD, and he credited it to him as
     righteousness.

     ....I am the LORD, who brought you out of Ur of the Chaldeans
     to give you this land to take possession of it.'


But Abram questions God about the land:



     'O Sovereign LORD, how can I know that I will gain possession
     of it?'



This is such an astonishing glimpse of the Sovereign God, LORD Creator of the Universe, speaking to one of His small creatures.

But He doesn't speak to Abram in a condescending way, as if he were small and insignificant (most astonishing is that He would speak to him at all, if
you think about it).

Instead God takes Abram's question seriously.


"How can I know for sure?" Abram asks.


"Well, Abram, you foolish man," I might say. "God just told you what He was going to do...how can you
question Him?"

But Gold decides to swear to Abram, in an oath-confirming ceremony, just what He had promised.

It was a common, accepted ceremony performed in those days between people making business arrangements.

They would take sacrificial animals, cut them in two parts, and both parties would walk between the pieces, reciting the terms of the agreement.

This would make it binding, as if we went to the Court House and had our signatures on a contract verified by a Notary.

Perhaps one man was selling land to another man, and the buyer was going to pay in cattle.

The two men would walk between the pieces of the animal, reciting the terms to each other. When the ceremony was completed it was sworn testimony to their agreement.

In the book of Jeremiah there is another reference to one of these ceremonies.

So instead of being angry at Abram for his doubt, we see a gracious and kind God patiently dealing with Abram in human terms that he would understand.

And why did God do this act of mercy?

The writer of Hebrews tell us in the passage above: (1) to make His promise and purpose very clear
and (2) to encourage us.

Read about it in Genesis, the first book of the Old Testament, chapter 15.

What does Abram do during the ceremony? Does he walk between the pieces with God?

No. Abram falls into a deep sleep and God walks alone through the ceremony.

Why? Because Abram had nothing to bring to the agreement. He wasn't paying anything. He was the recipient of all the blessings.

So God walked alone and confirmed His everlasting covenant with Abram and Abram rested and received it all.

It's called grace.

And it is pictured again at Calvary, when God the Son
confirmed His oath to mankind, and suffered alone.

We, like Abram, have nothing to bring to the table.

We are only recipients of the benefits of the oath.

Jesus performed the ceremony alone.