Jul

24

Just as I am

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There’s no pretense with God. No matter how much we want to dress up and present ourselves seamless and flawless to become acceptable, God sees the true nature of our character. No amount of starched collars or finery will cover our sins. Only the blood of Jesus.

When Christ came to earth, he was the division between the pompously proud and the humbly repentant. His purpose was to welcome into his family those who loved and sought the truth of God with a humble, open heart. No finery required.

The Lord resists the proud but gives grace to the humble ~ James 4:6

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled ~ Matthew 5:6

 Consider what the Lord has accomplished to welcome you into the family of God and know that as a son or daughter of God, truly you are loved and accepted through the redeeming work of Jesus on the cross. Nothing more, nothing less.

We don’t need to dress up for the Lord. Out of respect, we want to present ourselves clean when we come to church as members of a civil society. But remember, if you don’t have anything but the clothes on your back, the welcome mat to the Lord’s house is still free for you to set your foot upon. The Lord does not turn away anyone who comes knocking. By his blood, we are all cleansed of our filth in the precious blood of Jesus.

 O, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who trusts in Him ~ Psalm 34:8

Jul

16

Storm tossed

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When sorrows like sea billows roll is a lyric from a popular old hymn penned after a man’s personal tragedy. After losing his little boy in the great Chicago fire of 1871, hymn composer, Horatio Spafford, later lost the rest of his children—all four of his girls—in a ship accident at sea. Despite the heartbreak, Spafford remained close to Christ and wrote the hymn It is Well with My Soul, knowing that His comfort would be sufficient for anything.

Like Abraham, Stephen, Job, David, Paul, Daniel, Joseph and many other saints of old, they each leave a witness of hardship and persecution. With their dire troubles—even unto death—these men maintained an abiding faith as they rested in the spiritual arms of Jesus. These biblical legends are our great cloud of witnesses. Each one can inspire today’s believers as we share and follow these witnesses of the faith through God’s word while we travel our own individual path.

Some by the fire and some by the flood…but all through the blood of Jesus are we sifted and refined like choice silver and gold. It would seem like Horatio Spafford had been sifted with both water and fire in the Lord’s sanctification of this godly man. Like all of them, we can be a witness, too, and only through the power of God.

Jul

09

Be still and know that I am God

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   For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him ~ Psalm 62:5

         The Lord speaks to us through his word and, sometimes, if we really listen, we can almost hear the subtlety of a still, small voice. His word instructs us often just to be still.

Be still and know that I am God ~ Psalm 46

           It’s not always easy to hear his voice in a world filled with distractions and noise. With all that goes on in our busy lives, taking time to be still is something we need to plan before life’s cares entangle us. Allowing our Creator to take prominence in our hearts and minds as we struggle to silence the chatter is sure to be a balm for whatever ails us.

To be still before the Lord is not always a physical position or something to do in the midst of a silent moment. To be still also means to let your ways yield unto his…to mentally put everything else aside and let the Holy Spirit lead.

As we are only strong in the Lord’s strength, taking the time to consider his ways above and beyond our own can only lead to opening ourselves up to the direction of the Holy Spirit. Isn’t this the place we all yearn to be?

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him ~ Psalm 37

Jul

02

Independence Through Christ

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“If my people which are called by my name shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land…” 2 Chronicles 7:14

We know God has always had a special relationship with the nation of Israel. When King Solomon dedicated the temple and prayed to the Lord, in turn, the Lord responded to say that if the people kept his commandments, they would receive prosperity; if not, they would not be blessed but would receive the punishment of hardship and banishment from the land.

The New Covenant we have through Jesus is not about a nation but more of a promise to God’s faithful children—the church. Our promise is not necessarily the prosperity of wealth, although it could be, but more so the fulfilment of being prospered spiritually through the Holy Spirit. The temple now resides in us, the believers.

Being humble and hungry for the Lord’s will to be done doesn’t start through our strength; it starts with seeking the Lord’s face, so that we can become instruments to further his plans and purposes here on earth.

As America celebrates Independence Day this week, we are reminded of the blessings we’ve been given and give thanks to the many who fought to allow this nation to stand. Though we are a great nation of freedom and liberty, remember, we are only truly free through the blood stained cross of Christ.

Jun

26

He’s alive!

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Our Lord and savior Jesus is amazing. While some wanted him to die and set up a cross on which to hang him on that fateful day, he defied even death and rose three days later from the grave.

What he endured while on that cruel Roman cross was what each one of us deserves. Though because of his perfect plan of redemption for the sins of mankind, he underwent the suffering so we wouldn’t have to.

Pierced, bruised, and crushed—like an innocent lamb led to slaughter. Many would have passed out from only a portion of the pain Jesus suffered. That was the fate of our beloved savior. And so underserved.

The compassion of God is truly greater than anything we’ll ever come to know. The more we dwell upon the flogging…the stripes upon his back…the nails in his wrists…and the crown of thorns on his head, along with the mental anguish from the brief separation from his Father, while he bore our sins, we can more fully understand the magnitude of his suffering. Though because of this miraculous feat, all believers are now set free spiritually from everything that besets our souls forever.

By His stripes we are healed. The greater meaning of it all, we’ll understand in heaven, but for now, we can rest in the truth of God’s word that these things were designed from the beginning for good. All praise, glory, and thanks to God!