Holy God's gracious healing hug takes us from practicing somewhat unconvinced in our own garden to His garden in paradise and ushers in a brand new tomorrow that starts whenever there is room for a totally trusting today.
Eternally loved and treasured Teacher, Triune God, open up a special place reserved for adoration in all hearts longing to love Jesus Christ; so that their appreciation of and gratitude for His redeeming work at Calvary is genuine.
Anytime, anywhere, whenever You desire to meet Your holy Friend of Friends He will be there to hug you when You give Him a hug with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength.
Say you love Him and long to be His friend and obedient pastor servant.
Success is falling head over heels in love with the Prince of Peace.
Ladies and gentlemen, the world's interest in God's tree of life, Jesus Christ, isn't hug-orientated enough. This must change and this change must start happening in our own backyard - in the backyard of our corrupt mind.
God's loving, compassionate, corrective, kick kicks in best when God-seeking mankind runs out of trust in his own unkind kick and stretches both his hands lovingly around the Tree of life's trunk like waist and teachings.
Ladies and gentlemen, before we can fall in love with Our Creator we must start fighting against the chest thumper in us.
Intrepid fighters for good, it is possible to put the show off in us to the sword, without putting on boxing gloves, but only if we voluntarily fall in love with God's holy, righteous, compassionate, forgiving Word.
It is in laying down our wants and desires that we find God's wants and desires. And it is in laying down our wants and desires that we find
out that God's best for our unique life is still to come.
Whilst on this journey we will discover that one of the pervading spirits in our life that must be challenged is a spirit that labels our neighbor as unworthy of dignity.
Fellow citizens of the world, appreciation for our neighbor is indispensable, if we are desirous to appreciate God's gracious, praiseworthy
love, especially demonstrated at Calvary, on our behalf.
The spirit of mankind that announces that "we will fight terror with all our might" honors God, only if we abide in His might. His might is his very Word.
If we abide in His Word, Jesus Christ, and hear His holy voice we will pray for our neighbors (the unredeemed).
We will say to them that we have hurt you and you have hurt us.
If we abide in His Word we shall say to them, also, that we shall not lift a hand of violence against you anymore, but leave all judgments to Our totally trustworthy Creator God; for He is sovereign Judge and He will administer perfect justice in our lives.
Our trust is in God Almighty who kicks, unlike man, trouble into touch without the game of life being spoilt.
Lovers of goodness, darkness must never be applauded.
Lovers of goodness, let us also appreciate that chest-thumping mankind can never promise and deliver a safer world, even if the so-called civilized cheer them on.
Does anybody really want to be led by chest-thumping bullies?
Faithful Father, help us to understand that the truly God-honoring of this age must not be gun-totting in either word or deed.
Precious readers, if we are truly tired of shedding blood we would throw away our trust in weapons that inflict bloodshed.
Intrepid searchers for truth, let us remember that terrorists - as evil as they behave, still have a body, soul and spirit.
God Almighty can and will correct, rebuke, chasten and enlighten them whenever He chooses.
He has called us to be pure-hearted not murderers.
Terrorism is evil. Equally exterminating terrorists is also evil.
True faith announces that Our Peace bringer, Jesus Christ, will disarm the enemies of peace when we disarm ourselves and arm ourselves with His reconciliatory, forgiving life-edifying and ennobling spirit.
May I encourage everyone whose belief systems have been tolerating the shedding of blood to walk into their gardens.
May I encourage you further now to start hugging the tree with the biggest trunk that you can find.
Persevere patiently and you shall be grown up in prudence.
Persevere patiently lovers of the tree of life, until your arms and minds are too tired to wave retaliatory at terrorists.
Fellow neighbors, if you see your neighbors hugging a tree you can copy what they are doing also to great spiritual advantage.
Trunk-hugging Dads and Mums, I'll leave you to it now; as my arms have become exhausted. Just don't make this pleasurable past-time into an addiction.
Your mission, as the holy God obedient, involves hugging that tree in the garden that you have formed a close relationship with until you realize just how peace-loving the Tree of life is.
Holy God Triune, our lifelong prayer is to abide daily in Your Holy Word; so that Your healing, inspiring, beautiful, friendly love will overshadow us perpetually like a band of lovely spring weather.
Blessed Father, we know that as long as we
Blessed Father of heaven and earth, we know that as long as we keep obediently hugging Your teachings, that even in the severest winters of our lives, You will love us so lovingly that confidence in Christ Jesus will become the constant color to our countenance.
Thank you sincerely for being Our Emmanuel. Thank you for Your extraordinary patience and encouragement.
God of yesterday, today, tomorrow and eternity, we love and cherish You. Help us to hold up Your beautiful banner of truth with passion and pride as we bring the Gospel of Christ to an ailing world to the glory of Your richly compassionate, absorbingly interesting and fascinatingly comforting name. Amen.