Category: redemption

Can you really have “perfect peace?”

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Is 26-3 Lake Swago

 

A few years ago, Hurricane Irene came to our NJ town. And afterwards so did the President and Governor. The aftermath of flooding left our neighborhoods destroyed, people displaced, businesses ruined. But the destruction was selective. While some areas were devastated, others were spared.

Among the many affected were two churches. In both cases, they had never experienced flooding, and so expected none this time. In both cases, they were wrong.

The Butler Community Church was undergoing a facelift. The downstairs, used for concerts and coffeehouses, was ready to have the floor painted. During the week, the congregation had raised furniture and valuable musical equipment two feet off the floor to prepare it for washing before painting. Along came Irene and the deluge of water that covered the floor. The next day, the fire department pumped all the water out leaving it sparkling clean, ready for painting!

Down the road, Beth Israel Church had nearly finished their massive 4 year renovation project turning an abandoned furniture store into a breathtaking sanctuary and ministry center. It was almost ready for dedication. The brand new carpet had just been laid when Irene came to town leaving the building with 4 feet of smelly, murky, oily water. Everything from floor to ceiling was in ruins. After the initial shock, the congregation’s first response was to see how they might serve their neighbors, providing meals to those who lost everything.

Did God show favor to one over the other?

Did God answer the prayers of one and not the other?

Or did He choose each for different purposes –

One to proclaim His deliverance.

One to reveal His grace.

We might not have an abundance of water to contend with, but what about other calamities, maybe a frightful diagnosis? Some who pray are miraculously delivered to share amazing testimonies about the power of the Almighty.

Yet there are others who pray with as much fervor and faith, yet still experience the tribulations of all manner of physical disease, mental illness, or addiction.

Thirty years ago, a friend was diagnosed with MS. She was a dancer and one morning woke up unable to move a single muscle. Miraculously, she has been symptom-free since then. Twenty years ago, another friend was diagnosed with MS. He prayed for healing. Yet the ravages of his disease have affected his speech, motion, and emotions. Today, he thanks God and credits Him with transformation in the best sense of the word. He’ll tell you he used to be “cocky,” a head-turning, stellar athlete filled with an over-abundance of self-confidence. He now barely walks with a steel walker, but it is God who he leans on.

We can and should pray for our circumstances as our heavenly Father wants us to bring all our concerns to Him. But we must realize that these circumstances do not define us or God. They are tools in His hands used to refine us. He may allow the flood, the disease, the broken relationships, the financial woes. Or He may deliver us from them entirely. He is sovereign. We are not – but when we know the One who is, when we trust His character, when we converse with Him in prayer, when we experience His presence through the Spirit, and when we know that He CAN deliver us, but chooses not to, then we can experience His perfect peace despite our circumstances. And that is a powerful testimony that will speak loudly to the lives of others still struggling in their own circumstances.

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. Luke 22:42-43

May He strengthen you too, dear one.

People with their minds set on you,
    you keep completely whole,
Steady on their feet,
    because they keep at it and don’t quit.
Depend on God and keep at it
    because in the Lord God you have a sure thing. Is. 26:3 MSG

The Real Scandal

Posted on by Susan Panzica
Every day it’s a new scandal, a new divisive issue.
  • Race issues.
  • Gender issues.
  • Abuse issues.
  • Political issues.

You know the names. The places. We see and hear them all day, every day. Our newsfeeds overflow with opposing points of view. We share the ones we agree with, furthering the furor. We discount the opinions of others without attempting to understand them.

And I have to ask the question, cliche as it is. What would Jesus do?

Would He raise His fist condemning those sinners? Did He stone the woman caught in the obvious sin of adultery? Or did He say, after writing in the sand, “Where are your accusers? … Neither do I condemn you. Go and sin no more.” (John 8:9-11)

Would He shout about the moral decay in government? Did He encourage boycott of the corrupt Roman government? Or did He say, “Render under Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.”? (Mark :12;17)

People are broken in all kinds of ways. Including us. We must first remove the log in our own eye before the speck in another’s. And what if we think they have more than a speck? Well, that’s really not for US to judge, is it? When we are sin-free, then maybe we can have something to say about someone else. Until then, we are all sinners, saved by grace alone. Sinners created to do good works that He planned in advance for us to do (Eph. 2:8-10).  

Can we stop eviscerating people whose politics, morals, and lifestyles we disagree with? Remember – Jesus saved His harshest criticisms for the Pharisees, those self-righteous religious people He called “hypocrites, white-washed tombs,” looking good on the outside, but dead on the inside. 

Yes, as Jesus-followers, we must live and stand for righteousness in our society. We must be salt and light. But please – let’s do it with love in our hearts, not stones in our hands. Our job is not to judge. It is to be restorers, to be instruments of healing, ambassadors of the good news.

We are to love every person, including those on the magazine covers, in each political party, in viral videos.

Who will listen to us if all they hear from us are voices of condemnation?

I made a decision to try to understand all points of view. I don’t have to agree with each one. But I want to understand each one, and then form my opinion with the knowledge of how someone else feels. I want them to feel that they have been heard.   

“Because Jesus loves the people on the covers of magazines just as much as He loves you and me, and the real scandal isn’t what others decide to do with their lives, but what Jesus did with His.”   Becky Thompson 

Won’t you join me in spreading the real news – the good news of His love, grace, peace? 



  • Race issues. #Ferguson #TexasPoolParty #blacklivesmatter
  • Gender issues. #caitlynjenner #samesexmarriage
  • Abuse issues. #duggars  
  • Political issues. #Obama #Christie

Memorial Day – A Day Of Remembrance. And Honor.

Posted on by Susan Panzica


Memorial Day isn’t about barbeques or three day weekends. It’s about remembering those who gave their lives in service to our country. It’s about sacrifice and honoring those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.


As Christians, we can also remember those “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” Heb. 11:33-34

And, of course, the greatest sacrifice of all: “This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10

I’m so thankful for the soldiers who daily sacrifice their comfort and liberty so that we might live in ours, for those who face dangers so that we would be free from them, for those who lost their lives so that we might have ours.

And I live in praise of the One who gave Himself as a sacrifice, suffered death so that you and I might enter eternal life.   

And so we can do more than just remember the soldiers and the Savior.

We can honor those who sacrificed so we could live in freedom. We can:
  • Joining in suffering, like a good solider of Christ Jesus. 2 Tim. 2:3
  • Offer our bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God –our true and proper worship. Rom. 12:1

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal 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

Happy Resurrection Day!

Posted on by Susan Panzica

.

The door of the Garden Tomb, Jerusalem

“Why do you look for the living among the dead?” 

“He is not here; He has risen, just as He said.”

“Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: 

Rejoice!“


Rejoice, dear friends! May this Resurrection Day usher in a year of peace and victory for you. May you walk closer than ever with our risen Lord day after day after day. 


1. Lk. 2:45
2. Mt. 28:6
3. Phil 4:4 

When must we NOT show mercy?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

When must we NOT show mercy?
This is the first, but surely not the last, you will read about my gardening experiences. I find so many illustrations about the Christian life when I am tending my garden. Maybe that’s why it all began in a garden.
The truth is: I have a love/hate relationship with my garden. Oh, how I love the blooms, the fragrance, the sheer beauty that shows its face each spring. Oh, how I hate the seemingly endless care that it requires. And to be honest, I’m not the most gifted gardener. But, I try.


Today, I was attacking an overgrown hydrangea with the pruning shears. Perhaps “attacking” is too strong a word, but I think the hydrangea would disagree. From the plant’s point of view, I seemed just vicious, showing no mercy. But in fact, I was saving its life. There were shoots of dead wood, and if left intact, they would have a negative impact on the rest of the plant, as well as the other plants in the garden, especially the peony next door.
At times, I feared I was too aggressive, but I’ve had this hydrangea a long time. We’ve been through this before, and from past experience, I know that this seemingly harsh treatment is very beneficial. My hydrangea rewards me every summer with a bounty of blooms because with the life-sucking shoots gone, its energy can be directed toward new life.
As Christians, we are instructed to show mercy. Jesus says “God blesses those who are merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” (Matt. 5:7). Mercy is the very hallmark of the Christian. But there are times when what appears to be mercy isn’t. 

When a friend or loved one is engaged in dangerous behavior, they need boundaries and consequences, not an enabler. When sin is crouching at our door, it needs a swift kick right out that door. When envy or bitterness or resentment start slithering under our skin, we need to uproot and destroy it. Just a few verses after Jesus teaches about mercy, He says, 

“If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell.” (Matt. 5:39) 

Ouch, well, that doesn’t seem too merciful to the eye, does it? No, but sin is like gangrene. It may start small, but unless it is amputated and removed, it will spread causing death and destruction.
So the truly merciful thing to do is nip it in the bud, just like my hydrangea. 

From Rubbish to Restored

Posted on by Susan Panzica


SLOW DOWN!!! My husband Tony shrieked as I drove down the street. I thought there was mortal danger ahead and nearly caused some myself, but no – he wanted to scan the yard sale we were passing.
And that’s why I don’t drive when he’s in the car. 
But this week, he was passing a house in lovely Franklin Lakes when he spotted an amp sitting at the curb. Being the master guitar player (and garbage picker – you didn’t hear that from me) that he is, he couldn’t resist. He stopped, and the owner told him that the amp was broken and Tony was free to take it. And being the master Mr. Fixit that he is, he did just that. He took it home and repaired it to work perfectly! 

This is life with Tony. 


Sometimes we feel like that amp – broken, useless, good for nothing but the garbage heap. At one time, we were new, clean and fresh, but life was hard. We might have been treated badly. Perhaps we were ignored or overlooked. Maybe we made some bad choices that hurt others or ourselves. And now we feel wounded or inadequate.

We feel like the amp out on the curb might feel – broken, defeated, alienated, separated from what could have been.
What we need is life with Jesus, the original Mr. Fixit. He takes our broken pieces and makes them like new.
Throughout Scripture, God restores His people, their health, their wealth, their hopes. He restored nations and order. He restored  “the crushed spirit of the humble and revived courage of  the repentant” (Is 57:15). He brought “sparkle to eyes” (Ps 13:3)
Jesus comforted the alienated and the outcast. He healed the infirmed. He made people useful and vibrant again. And He still does this today. If we let Him.
Will you let Him in today?  Will you enter into life with Jesus? How can I pray for you, beloved?
  

“In his kindness God called you to share in his eternal glory by means of Christ Jesus. So after you have suffered a little while, he will restore, support, and strengthen you, and he will place you on a firm foundation.” 1 Peter 5:10

Aftermath

Posted on by Susan Panzica
On Thursday night, my family, friends and I went to a Hillsong United concert, part of the tour promoting their new album Aftermath.

It was a worship encounter that rivaled any I’ve ever experienced. During the final song, I glanced up and saw the massive painted ceiling of the Hammerstein Ballroom, a vision of heaven that brought my spirit right through the roof to the clouds. I sensed the prayers of the people rising up to heaven as incense.

The next morning, I awoke to the news of the tragedy in Japan. My heart is breaking for the loss and suffering over there. And in the days since, the word “aftermath,” so often repeated, has taken on new significance.

The album was titled Aftermath because “instead of living in the aftermath of our mistakes and sin, we can live in the aftermath of what Jesus has done for us.”

What is the aftermath? According to the dictionary, it is:

af.ter.math – noun
something that results or follows from an event,
especially one of a disastrous or unfortunate nature;
consequence: the aftermath of war; the aftermath of the flood
After natural or man-made disasters, there are the expected devastating consequences.
After the cross, there was and is the unexpected consequence – what appeared to be total destruction and loss one tragic Friday 2000 years ago was complete victory the following Sunday. A victory that is ours today. At the concert, Joel Houston of Hillsong shared, “The cross was a symbol of sin and shame, but Jesus turned it upside down into a symbol of grace and forgiveness and hope.”
“A perfect God sent His perfect Son to an imperfect people in order to perfect them through His perfect love.” Heb 10:14 (Hillsong U. version)

Aftermath
The skies lay low where You are
On the earth You rest Your feet
Yet the hands that cradle the stars
Are the hands that bled for me
In a moment of glorious surrender
You were broken for all the world to see
Lifted out of the ashes
I am found in the aftermath
Freedom found in Your scars
In Your grace my life redeemed
For You chose to take the sinner’s crown
As You placed Your crown on me
In that moment of glorious surrender
Was the moment You broke the chains in me
Lifted out of the ashes
I am found in the aftermath
And in that moment You opened up the heavens
To the broken the beggar and the thief
Lifted out of the wreckage
I find hope in the aftermath
And I know that You’re with me
Yes I know that You’re with me here
And I know Your love will light the way
Now all I have I count it all as loss
But to know You and to carry the cross
Knowing I’m found
In the light of the aftermath



May you, dear friend, find yourself in the aftermath of His sacrifice and love for you.

Is it too late to be good?

Posted on by Susan Panzica

Santa knows who’s been naughty or nice.
And he’s making a list,
and he’s checking it twice.

Or so the song goes.

He sees you when you’re sleeping,
when you’re awake,
when you’ve been bad or good.

So what does the songwriter tell you to do about it?

You better watch out,
you better not cry,
and you better be good for goodness sake.

Last week, I saw a plaque that read –
Is it too late to be good?

Well, according to Jesus, none of us are good (Mark 10:18). Nope, not a one.
Umm, not exactly Christmas cheer, huh?
Well, actually what Jesus said is, “No one is good – except God alone.”
And frankly, that’s pretty cheery.

God is good.

And because He loves us, He imparts Himself (and His goodness) into us.
And as we yield to Him, we develop Crist-likeness, which is very good.
And it’s never too late to be very good!

We keep striving to become good enough, but in our own strength it’s impossible. It is impossible for Jesus to love us any more than He does already, or to love us any less. He knows everything about us, and loves us anyway!




We can’t earn anything in God’s economy because He already paid the price.
He knows when we’re sleeping and when we’re awake, and so much more:

from Psalm 139
O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.


You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.


You go before me and follow me.
I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
If I go up to heaven, you are there;
if I go down to the grave, you are there.


If I ride the wings of the morning,
if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
even there your hand will guide me,
and your strength will support me.


I could ask the darkness to hide me
and the light around me to become night—
but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.


You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body
and knit me together in my mother’s womb.
Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!
Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.
You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,
as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.


You saw me before I was born.
Every day of my life was recorded in your book.
Every moment was laid out
before a single day had passed.


Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Search me.
Show me.
Lead me.
And if I can’t be “good”, help me each day to be better than the day before.
Jesus, Yours is the only list I want to be on.

Stains and Devils

Posted on by Susan Panzica

There’s an unwritten (though oft spoken) rule in our house. My husband coined it, and my kids swear to it. The rule is this:

When something is spilled, it is either I who has spilled
or someone else has spilled on me.

I have learned to face the ugly truth:
I am a mess-magnet.


If you hear a crash in a restaurant, you can be sure that I am sitting nearby. When my dog hears me squeal “Oh no!” she makes a beeline for wherever I am, knowing that she might get a lucky mess to slurp off the floor.


This week, I exchanged an ill-fitting Christmas gift for a pretty new coat. I have always had black coats, yet for some reason, this pale pink faux shearling caught my eye. My daughter said it’s the ugliest thing she’s ever seen (she hates pink), and my husband thought it looks like pigskin, no not football pigskin leather, but a real pig’s skin. Despite their blistering fashion critique, I loved it.


I wore it the next day. As we were returning home, my husband asked me if I knew that there was blue ink all over the front of the brand new coat. The blood drained from my face when I saw the mass of squiggley road-map-blue lines staining the front of the coat. “That’s why you always have black coats,” said my astute husband.


So to deal with the crisis, I sought wise, experienced counsel.


Unfortunately, the trip to the dry cleaners confirmed my worst suspicions.


There was no hope.



But wait….

On my laundry room shelf was a product that had worked for me before (remember I am Stains ‘R Us).

Carbona Stain Devils
Good Christians everywhere avoid this product because of its name. Who wants a devil in their house?
But unlike that other devil, these devils remove stains.
Using #3 – the ink/crayon devil, I carefully followed the instructions, blotting out the ink and voila! No more stain!
Can you hear the Hallelujah chorus in the background as I jump around the laundry room?

And can you figure out where I’m going with this?

“God’s Stain Removal Guide”

After King David’s sin was exposed, he was filled with remorse. He cried out to the Lord asking for cleansing and renewal, asking for his stains to be removed. “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin…. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me” Psalm 51:1-2, 10


Though a murderer, David’s sins were no greater or worse than mine or yours. All sin separates us from God (Is. 59:2). But in His love and desire to be reunited with us, God got into the cleaning business.


He set up a sacrifice system under the law to cover sins, but then, Jesus came and paid the cleaning bill in full.


For our possessions, there are stain-devils to remove all kinds of stains, even blood.


But for His precious possession – us – He used His blood to remove our stains and to overcome the devil.


The stains on my pink coat rendered it useless, good only for the garbage heap, but with the cleansing, it is now a useful, functional asset to my wardrobe. When we’ve been cleansed and renewed, we become useful, functional assets to His kingdom.


“…Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her to make her holy, cleansing her by the washing with water through the word, and to present her to Himself as a radiant church, without stain or wrinkle or any other blemish, but holy and blameless. Eph. 5:26-27


(Ooooo, He removes our stains and our wrinkles! )


It’s a good thing for a mess-magnet like me that God is in the cleaning and renewal business. It may have appeared that there was no hope for me, but that wasn’t the truth. He longs for us to be restored to Him.
So, my friend, how has He restored and used you?

Susan



Black Friday

Posted on by Susan Panzica



We keep hearing the term “Black Friday” screaming from the TV and newspapers. The day after Thanksgiving begins the unofficial “holiday shopping season”, the time of year when retailers move from operating “in the red” (at a loss) to operating “in the black” (making a profit). Stores open at 4 or 5 or 6 a.m. offering crazy low prices to lure customers in, hoping that they will in turn spend a lot of money for gifts.





I can’t help but think of another “Black Friday”, a day when the greatest price was paid for the greatest gift ever given. 2000 years ago, an innocent man gave His life so that others might live. Jesus, God the Son, left His heavenly home, to be born into an ordinary family and live an ordinary life in an ordinary town, until He began His extra-ordinary ministry on earth. For 3 years, He healed the hurting, taught those who would listen, and preached the truth to all. The conclusion of His time on earth was paying the price for the sins of the entire world, past, present and future, and providing the gift of eternal life to any who receive it.




Now that Thanksgiving Day is over, let’s continue to live with thanksgiving in our hearts.






Thank you Lord for paying the debt we owe. Thank you for rising from the dead in victory, giving us the opportunity to live in victory. May we keep you as our focus in the days and weeks to come, and be ever ready to share the real reason for the season.




Susan