God

The Unstoppable Love of God–Tyler’s Story

/ Neal Embry / Leave a comment

I spent the last several days down in southern Alabama, celebrating the birthday of a friend, and fellowshipping with her and some other cool kids.  Since I didn’t get back until noon yesterday, I didn’t make it to Lakeside yesterday.

When my mom got home, she told me about how a brother and sister, both young, came forward during the service to tell the church that they had given their lives to Christ.  I had the privilege of teaching both of these children this summer.

The girl is six years old, and is absolutely the sweetest child I’ve ever met.  She always has a smile on her face, always wants a hug, and laughs constantly.  Within a few days of meeting her, our favorite game was to jump up and down, clapping and laughing, until one of us got tired.  Yeah…guess who won that game?  Not the teacher.  It touched my heart to hear that she had made that decision, and that God was now going to use her for his glory, and use that love and laughter for the kingdom.

I’m going to focus on her brother, however, because of what he in particular has meant to me.

The boy, whose name is Tyler, is, in a lot of ways, similar to his sister.  He’s one of the most loving children I’ve ever known.  He probably has more love in his heart than anyone else in that church.  He’s always wanting to hug you (I guess that runs in the family) and is willing to help you, and always wants to grow and know more about God and about the world.  He’s one of the most special boys in this world.

And the world would label him “disabled.”  Tyler has trouble learning, and is a bit slower than those in his class.  There were times this summer where it certainly wasn’t easy with him, and more than anyone else, he teaches you patience.  But I can honestly say it is worth it.  He played Jesus in our first Resurrection story skit.  And he nailed it.  It was perfect, and standing in the corner watching, I had to get the tears out of my eyes before moving.  He works so hard to be the best, and wants nothing more than to make his friends and his teachers happy.

Every day, in crafts, he would ask me if his work looked good.  I didn’t have to lie to him, it honestly looked great.  Sometimes we’d have to help him, but eventually he would get it.  In recreation, when he did something well, seeing a smile come across his face made my day.

You see, I wouldn’t label Tyler anything other than special or unique, because that’s what he is.  We have so much to learn from him.  Love, patience, respect, and how to support your friends, no matter what.  As much as I hope I, and the other teachers, taught Tyler this summer….he taught us so much more.  I wouldn’t be the same if I didn’t meet him and get to know him this summer, and the same can probably be said for a lot of the kids at the church.

Tyler is so very special to me, but he’s even more special to God.  God doesn’t make mistakes.  He made Tyler the way he is for a reason.  And I think I’ve discovered one of those reasons….to show that nothing, absolutely NOTHING, can stand in the way of God’s love for his children.  No disability, no disorder, no sickness, no age, no pain, NOTHING, can stop God from getting to us.

When we have nothing, when we feel lost, when we feel helpless, that’s when God shows up.  God loves us, and it is a truth that is simple, simple enough to be understood by someone the world would call “different.”  God sees Tyler as different too….but not because of a medical diagnosis.  He sees him as different because Tyler is His child, because he created him for a purpose.

We told the kids this summer that God had a plan for their lives, and now, Tyler and his little sister, along with their brother, are going to discover what that is, and I could not be more excited to see what he does in their lives, and in their wonderful parents lives.

I wasn’t able to save myself.  I can’t do it.  But God can, and he did.

I couldn’t turn myself back around.  But God can, and he did.

I can’t change my own life, but God can.  And he continues to do that every day.

Tyler can’t save himself, but God can, and he did.

When the world tells Tyler he can’t do something because of what the doctors say, God will be right there telling him “You can….because I can.”

Let us not forget the power of God, and the love he has for us.  I’m so very proud of Tyler and his sister for their willingness to give it all up to the one who created them.  And God created them just the way he wanted to, for he does not make mistakes.  And we know, because of his word, that nothing can stop God from loving his children.

No matter what road this life presents Tyler, he will walk down it, smiling, laughing, knowing, that because God loves him, he has a hope, and he has no reason to do anything but continue being the wonderful, loving boy that he is today.

May his story inspire all of us, and may all the glory go to God.

God bless,

Neal E

True Justice

/ Neal Embry / Leave a comment

There is no such thing as a good person.  No matter what you’ve been told, we are not inherently morally good.  We’re certainly not good enough to save ourselves.  Romans 3:11 says “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God.”  Verse 23 of the same chapter says that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.”

Here on Earth, we have a merit-based justice system.  We do things and make decisions based on what we believe is fair, what is right.  But in God’s eyes, we are all worthy of death without Christ.  God didn’t save you because there’s something in you worth saving.  God saved you because he is an incredibly gracious and loving God.  He saved you because he loved you, not based on your works, but because he just did.  God just did.  That’s a tough concept to grasp, and it’s something we may struggle with all of our lives.

God is a holy, righteous God.  Thus, he is the only true judge.  He alone is worthy to judge all peoples, and his goal is to uphold his holy character and bring glory to himself.  Because of who he is, God deserves all the glory and all the praise, and we deserve none of it.

Those who seek their own glory, or “justice” for themselves, will find themselves declared wicked by God, and God will have none of it.  Stealing God’s thunder will get you struck by lightning if you don’t turn around and trust in Christ:

“If a man does not repent, God will whet his sword, he has bent and readied his bow, he has prepared for him his deadly weapons, making his arrows fiery shafts.  Behold the wicked man conceives evil and is pregnant with mischief and gives birth to lies.”–Psalm 7:12-14

God cannot allow us in our sinful condition into heaven.  He can be around sin, but because it is so abhorrent to him, he is definitely not ok with it.  We have a sin condition, and desperately need a savior.  But far too often, we think we are our own savior.  We are not saved by our works.  Look again with me at Romans 3.  By our works, we are condemned, and so, only Christ can justify us, and only God can judge us, because he alone is worthy.  God is the goal, we have all fallen short.  You see, looking at God’s justice, the upholding of his name, and the punishment we are all worthy of, points us to Christ.

“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.  But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it–the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe.”–Romans 3:20-22

So God is the only one who is good.  Jesus is the only man who’s walked this Earth that was perfect.  We are sinful, and have no true moral code.  We have no way to save ourselves.  We have no right to declare what is right and wrong, what’s fair and not fair.  So pretty much, we’re in trouble.

But God made a way when we were dead in sin, and the way is Jesus, and Jesus alone.  Jesus can save us, and for those who believe, Christ is the savior, and is able to make us righteous by his work, not ours.

May this impact us every day, to marvel at God’s grace, and to keep us from judging others and thinking we know what is right or fair, for God is the only judge of what is right and fair.  Our justice system does a marvelous job, but ultimately, the final judgment lies with the Creator.

One last thing I want us to see is found again in Psalm 7.  Verse 8 says “The Lord judges the peoples, judge me, O Lord, according to my righteousness and according to the integrity that is in me.”

Without Christ, when we ask this of God, we’re pretty much telling God that we’re ready to go to hell.  We’ve packed our ice packs and sunscreen, let’s go.  Do we think about it like that?  No, because again, we think, before we know what we know about God, that we are inherently morally good.  But if we were to truly get what we deserve, we’d get death.

But think about that prayer and request from David in the light of the salvation of Christ.  God doesn’t then look at us for righteousness, but at Christ, who makes us righteous and who makes us whole.  He had the righteousness needed, and thus, we are saved by faith in Christ, and not in anything else.

God, your grace is amazing, and we don’t fully understand it.  May we continue to live our lives in such a way that marvel at who you are and bring glory to your name.

God bless,

Neal E