WHAT IS A KISS

A kiss is a demonstration of affection.  A symbol of love for the other.  A kiss of respect, of greeting, true love.

Throughout history, a kiss is universal.  Even animals kiss each other and us sometimes.  Yes, a symbol of love.

Yet there is one in history that is seared in its pages.  A kiss that symbolized nothing mentioned above.  The kiss of betrayal, most of us coined, The Kiss of Death.

It was the kiss that marked the beginning of the end.  The kiss that was pre-determined to happen to a recipient who knew the inevitable.  The kiss that will never be replicated by anyone to anyone.  At least not that I know of, unless it was recreated to depict that same ONE.

Satan is the ultimate deceiver and he turns a symbol of ardor, something of God, into something evil.

But then again, this kiss was also symbolic of our salvation, our redemption.  Had it not been for this kiss, we would all remain unforgiven, with our inevitable future that mirrors that of the one who exploited such a positive symbol.

Jesus knew He was predisposed to a death brought on by a series of painful and punishing excruciating wounds which he had to endure but pre-planned by God, His own Father, for us undeserving ingrates.  But I know what your next question is.  You ask, “If God was so good, why would He give up His only Son as a sacrificial lamb for us?”

My simple little mind has gone over this question over and over again in my head.  Although I will never understand in my human brain why God would do such a thing, I could only summon up a reason that blew even my own mind!

God is Love.  There could never be another way for Him.  His love is unlike the love, even the greatest love that we have experienced in our own lives.  There can be no way we can fathom the intensity of God’s love even if we try.  I quit trying.  But I do understand the enormity of someone’s love when they have to sacrifice something as precious as a child, an only child at that, because I am a mother.  I would rather sacrifice myself than sacrifice my son or my daughter to be slaughtered like Jesus on the cross.  That is because I love my kids that much.  You can relate to this if you are a good parent.  Good parents would not and could not stand to see their child purposely killed.  It’s just impossible.

But God did.  He did it to show us the enormity of His love for us.  A love that most people rather not see or feel because of pure refusal, pure rebellion and denial.  That is why God’s love is not called love, it has another name.  AGAPE love.  So pure and so great that none of us can replicate it, or even feel it.  Why?  We are sinners.  We are imperfect, just not possible.  But God shows us that even with all the power and all the greatness He possesses, He allowed Himself as a sacrifice in the form of God in the Flesh to die for us, for our sins, for our eternal salvation, our souls uplifted and offered up to Him.  He did it for us because He knew that our sinful nature is susceptible to satan’s deceit and easily, our souls can be snatched, and most people’s souls have been snatched as a result of their refusal to accept such love from God.  God knows He can’t make us love Him back but He proved to us that we can, by our own accord, love Him back with only a smidgen of His love in return, and be saved.  

And that kiss from Judas sealed the deal.  It was the beginning of the end for Jesus.  He knew what was coming.  He is God!  He knew that it was the point of no return and He understood the pain of the flesh he was about to receive and he knew what that pain was like, what being slaughtered felt like which is why He begged God to save Him from it, feeling like we would feel if we knew our inevitable death has finally come to fruition.  The kiss of death from Judas was the kiss of love from God to us.  The price… JESUS CHRIST!

Until my next rant…. LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

BITTERNESS

The seed of bitterness is hurt.  The soil that sows it is a heart that harbors hostility or that hurt.

The other day I realized that as a child, I was physically abused by my parents, especially my father.  It didn't occur to me until then that he had a quick hand to dole out those belt beatings, slaps and verbal abuse.  All my life I had shoved it in the deepest part of my soul but it was very much the wrong thing to do.  

A seed when planted deeply thrives and grows deep roots and a sturdy stalk that is not easily blown away by wind or natural disturbances.  Deep rooted plants suck the life out of the nutrients around it.  Gravity helps the water sink deeply to it and nurtures it to help its strength.

Because I shoved it away and tried to forget, I was able to cope with life.  I was able to hide behind the hurt but in reality, most of my life I would let people naturally hurt me, whether it was physically, mentally or emotionally.  I was drawn to people who aim to promote pain and then I wonder why my life didn't progress.  Those things are all forgiven.  I have moved on.

It was the love of God that pushed me through the hurt.  All along God was there, whether I consciously summoned his guidance and peace or not, He would always be the little voice that steered me to the right path.  It is because of Him that I was able to forgive.  Well, maybe it wasn't as direct as I hoped because I was drawn to self-help books and seminars.  But the end result was still to Him.  

So here I am still standing.  And that little voice that was God in the past is now a booming voice in my heart and in my soul.  His voice is now and then heard when big decisions need to be made, not so much as guiding anymore because I am focused in His way.  When confusion sets in, He is there.  Thank God for a loving God, a confidante, a true father in every sense.  Someone who whacked that enormous stalk with a  machete and pulled it straight out of the ground.  

Bitterness is the devil's voice whispering in your ear to lash out at others because of the hurt you have experienced.  Seek God now and get past it.  move on and let it go!

Until my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!

FORGIVEN, CLEANSED AND CONQUERED

I often hear ridiculous stances from those who have not yet accepted Jesus as their Lord and savior and His importance in our lives as I’m sure you have heard them too, or maybe even made those statements yourselves.  I was once guilty as well.  Although I have had a close relationship with God as far as I can remember, it never got deeper than asking Him for favors whenever I’m in a bind.  I have made the same justifications that I can never be a perfect person because I commit sins pretty much daily.  The problem with sin is that it has no size.  A sin is a sin, whether you lied or killed someone.  The consequences vary but every sin is a rebellion against God.  

I also hear people say, “Well, I might as well not ask God to forgive me because I will sin again and just be a disappointment.  Besides, I have committed so many sins in my past and it keeps coming up and making me feel inadequate.”  Here is a perfect statement as to why people just give up on God.  They sin, because they don’t understand their level of human-ness.  The devil puts lies in our heads and when he does, not only does he encourage us to sin again and turn away from God, he also dredges up all the past sins we’ve been forgiven and cleansed for.  When we are tempted by the devil to sin, he prods us to go ahead and follow through, telling us it is within our right and our will to do it. Then once the sin has been committed, he throws accusations at us and tells us we are nothing, we are unworthy and God will punish us for it.

We need to distinguish the difference between the devil’s accusations and the Holy Spirit’s convictions.  The Holy Spirit will never convict us for sins that have been thrown by God in the sea of forgetfulness after he has forgiven and cleansed us of them.  The Holy Spirit’s way is to snap you into realization immediately as soon as you commit the sin.  He will convict you of the specific sin, such as hey, you just lied about that.  Then He convicts you redemptively, meaning after confession and forgiveness, He will redeem you.  All of these things happen in accordance to the cleansing of your sins through the blood of Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ died for the world which means there is no limited atonement!

A spirit-filled and victorious life doesn’t mean we are free from failure, pain, sin, etc., we all sin but we learn the truce and get in a higher plane, we get right with God, we are walking in the light, the minute we sin, the Holy Spirit says you did wrong, and that moment we confess our sins so we can stay on the higher plane.  This is our conquest.  Staying up there with God while we live with our sinful human nature.  

Similarly, you shouldn’t be light and cavalier about your sins.  When He lives in us the love of God is perfected.  A slave serves because he has to.  An employee serves because he needs to, a child of God serves because he wants to.  There is the LOVE of God that He will save me to begin with, cleanses me, do you think that will encourage me to sin? NO the desire of my heart is never to sin again.  NEVER.  But if I do thank God I have an advocate which is just a fancy word for a lawyer, pleading our case to God.

How sweet it is to be loved by our Jesus, isn’t it?

Until my next rant... LOVE ONE ANOTHER!