 God’s world is so much different than my world. The way He chooses to do things is so much better than the way I do things.
In my world, if expectations are not met the consequences are negative. When our children were growing up, an unpleasant summertime activity was weeding the garden. There was a greater success if there was a specific reward when the weeding was complete. If the garden was weeded in the morning I would take them swimming, or some reward for their success.
If they breached the unwritten contract there would be a new contract without a reward and perhaps a punishment. Because they did not finish weeding, they were not going swimming and they had to clean their rooms instead.
God operates much differently.
Jeremiah 33:31-32
“The time is coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.
32 It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand
to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them,”
declares the Lord.
Right now I would be holding my breath wondering what harder task is ahead because of failing to do what God wanted us to do in the first written contract or covenant. But God’s new covenant is BETTER than the old covenant. God begins to explain that the sacrifices will end because Jesus will be the perfect sacrifice for our sins on the cross. Jesus will be our High Priest whom we can have a relationship with God through, not just the priests in the temple. The Holy Spirit will be God’s guide in our minds and hearts.
Jeremiah 31:33-34
“This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord.
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, ‘Know the Lord,’ because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest,” declares the Lord.
“For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.”
Instead of a more restrictive or punishing covenant, God gave us a SUPERIOR covenant. I am glad God is in charge and not me, because I need to operate more like God in my life.
 The Bible does not gloss over and air brush people to make them look good. The Bible contains raw, truth- filled events and people including mothers who were bad.
Lot’s wife was fleeing with her family their city of residence, Sodom, because God was going to destroy the city for its’ great wickedness. God had warned Lot’s family not to stop or look back. The longing of what she was leaving behind was too much for Lot’s wife. She looked back and became a pillar of salt. (Genesis 19)
Lot’s daughters become mothers by getting their father drunk and having sex with him as he lay in a drunken stupor. (Genesis 19)
Potipher’s wife tried to seduce their handsome slave, Joseph. When he refused her forceful advances she accused him of attempted rape and he was thrown in prison. (Genesis 39)
Maacah, used her influence as queen mother while her son, Abijah ruled over Judah. She reinstituted the cultic worship of the fertility gods Baal and Asherah. (1 Kings 15)
Jezebel married Ahab, the warrior king of Israel and together they became wicked rulers who followed false gods instead of the only true, God. (1 Kings 16)
Athaliah – following the death of her husband and son, each of whom reigned as king, massacred all but one of her own family so she could rule over Judah. (2 Kings 11)
Herodias, hated John the Baptizer, because of he spoke against her marriage to Antipas. She was the divorced wife of Antipas’ half brother, Philip. Her daughter’s dance pleased the king so that he promised to give her anything she wished. Herodias had her daughter request the head of John the Baptizer on a platter. A king can never break his promise. (Matthew 14)
Bad mothers are present today causing pain and heartache for their families living in dysfunctional households. Mother’s Day is not a day they want to give flowers or even a card. My grandfather was an alcoholic and my mother broke the cycle of alcoholism, but brought anger, bitterness, and resentment into our family. My siblings and I often heard our mother say how much she hated us as we were growing up.
Our mother has great regrets from those times and each of us has forgiven her. This Mother’s Day, we will take her out for lunch, help her with some errands around her home, and each of will say words which were not always said or felt growing up. Today, the words are authentic and freely spoken often. “I love you, Mom!”
1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will Himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.
If you grew up with a bad mother, how has God restored you?
Comment here:
 Growing up, my school served fish patties every Friday throughout the year. At some point it changed to fish on Fridays during Lent. I really never made any connection with when and why they served fish on Fridays. McDonald's and other fast food chains have special sales on their McFish, BK Fish, TacoFish or whatever fish sandwich is on their menu.
I understand a little more about meatless Fridays and the Lenten season. While some scholars point to biblical passages where Jesus ate fish and fed the multitudes with the miracle of fishes and loaves, author Charles Panati says the tradition of eating fish on meatless Fridays only dates to the 16th Century.
"There is nothing sacred or profound about the tradition of meatless Friday," Panati writes in his book, "Sacred Origins of Profound Things." "Its origins were purely economic. ... With a meat shortage in England and a struggling fish industry, Parliament, with backing from the Church of England, ordered people to replace meat meals on Fridays with a fish dish. Roman Catholics adopted the personal sacrifice and made it mandatory."
Vatican II Council upheld meatless Fridays, but only during Lent. I am not certain what to classify fish as if it is not a meat: a vegetable? fruit? grain? Fish the "other" non-meat I guess.
The purpose of meatless Fridays during Lent is an act of penance; a discipline or devotion of giving up something as an act of showing sorrow for sins.
River of Life Church is an evangelical, charismatic, protestant, non-denominational church. That is a long way of saying that we are not Catholic. We do not observe Lent, but recognize the significance of this season leading up to Easter and fifty days later, Pentecost Sunday.
Jesus Christ, is our high priest and it is to Him that we confess our sins.
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
However, we are not as consistent to obey confessing our sins to one another so that we may be healed.
James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
 How does this work? If I scrape your car in the parking lot, tell God about it, place a note on your windshield which says, "Sorry about your car. I confessed it to God and got it all worked out." the problem is not resolved. I need to confess it to you and pay the repairs!
In the same way, I bring my sin before Jesus and to the person it has affected. I say what I did, apologize, and pledge to make it right. Doing this as a regular part of our lives will bring a spiritual, physical, and emotional healing in our lives and the lives of those around us.
Enjoy a meatless, fish sandwich today and make fresh confession whenever and wherever necessary.
 It is proper to sing about Jesus loving everyone; Red and yellow black and white, they are precious His sight. It is not proper to sing about any other color snow except white. It has been a brown winter for our state. Snow that typically blankets the ground is absent. We just got a beautiful covering of snow amounting to 3-5". The memory of a hymn song declaring that God washes my evil away until I am whiter than snow came to my mind.
Psalm 51:7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow."
Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us reason together,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."
Clothes only get clean when they are put in the washer - whether it is a modern washing machine or a large bucket of water and a stone. Our sins are not removed until we put them in the Lord's washer by telling Him we are sorry and want His help to keep from doing wrong.
1 John 1:9
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.
Enjoy the beauty of the new fallen snow and enjoy the beauty of a clean, pure life.
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