Jan

21

Sing a new song

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By his mighty arm, the Lord brought out his people from the bondage they suffered in Egypt, and all the while upheld them through their 40-year journey in the wilderness. They endured much over the years in the desert, and with everything they went through… the distress, trials, and temptations, the Lord was right there to aid and guide them into the Promised Land of Canaan. He provided food, warmth, shade from the strong sun and more. To think their sandals never wore out!

It was the Lord and only he who could have given them the strength to conquer their enemies and bear their afflictions. It is the reason they made a joyful noise with trumpets, harps, and the psaltery at their special feast days.

Like Israel, we, too, have a covenant with God through our faith and belief in the work of his blessed son, Jesus. We’ve been brought out of bondage as well and now stand humbly in Christ as redeemed citizens of a Heavenly Kingdom that is both here in our hearts as well as its ultimate future fulfillment.

As we endure our own trials through the desert of our time on earth, may it be as it was then…that we make a joyful sound to the Lord by singing psalms, singing aloud, and making a joyful noise. The word, noise, connotes that we don’t even have to be singing in the right key! God is pleased to hear the noise that comes from a worshipful heart.

Jan

13

Who’s the greatest?

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There are some who believe they have it all figured out. They suppose by doing good deeds or by simply attending church—by these they’ll be able to carve out their own way to heaven. On their own merits. The question to ask is:  Why did Jesus come to earth in the first place? What was the purpose of him sacrificing his life in such a cruel way?

In Moses’ day, the law was deemed to be the truth. Those that followed it were doing the right thing. But the law was unable to secure salvation. The sacrifices were only a temporary stop gap; they had to be repeated time and time again. That is, until the ultimate sacrifice was paid in the life and blood of the Savior.

The psalmist declares of Jesus, “Your law is the truth” and the word tells us he came to fulfill the Law. He is also the Incarnate Word of God and, therefore, the source of all truth.

Many times in the O.T., Jesus refers to himself as the I am. Exodus 3:6 states, “I am the God of Abraham…” In John 8:58, “Truly, truly…before Abraham was, I am.”

Jesus—prophet, priest, and King of Kings—is the great I am, and the only way to secure a heavenly future is through belief in him. Because he provided the way, and is the truth, and also overcame life, the future is secure for all who believe.

Dec

31

Happy New Year!

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Vowing to lose weight in the new year? Or stop bad habits? This time of year leads us to make New Year’s resolutions. Out with the old and in with the new.  Yet how many times have these pledges drifted and waned before coming to standstill by March?  Our spirits are willing though our flesh is mightily weak.

Kudos to those who pledge to becoming a better person in the New Year…committed to turning over a new leaf. Start anew. Change. This is an admirable goal to achieve, yet by true grit and by sheer strength, we will often miss the mark.

Sinners, as we all are, need not turn over a new leaf so much as a new heart. We can’t use the stuff of flesh to make better flesh…we need the Holy Spirit to accomplish the work. People need the Lord.

It’s not about becoming better versions of ourselves…better Joe’s, John’s or Alice’s. Our goals should be higher than that. Our purpose on earth should be to grow into becoming more like the savior of the world.

May this New Year be our year to yield not just some but all of our hopes, dreams, and aspirations to God, so that he may continue to mold us into the image of his son today and throughout the New Year.  In so doing, don’t be surprised in finding the desires of your heart fulfilled along the way as the Lord wills.

Dec

25

Happy Birthday to Jesus

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At just the right time, God, the father, sent his son to become our Immanuel–God with us. Born in the lowly stable among the animals to live a selfless life until the appointed time of his mission when he went to the cross. In complete faithfulness to his father and out of love and obedience, he fulfilled his father’s will.

Born to die. He came not to judge but to save. Everyone who believes will be saved says Roman 10:13.

Happy Birthday to our Lord, who became prophet, priest, and King of Kings. Thank you for condescending to mankind…for being our example…for enduring the humiliation, and for the hope for mankind that you provided through your ultimate sacrifice.

Maranatha, Jesus!

 
Dec

18

…As white as snow.

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How unfathomable to comprehend the path that Jesus took to reconcile us to the Father.

What a marvelous mystery that God would condescend to earth, but to come here in the form of a human and live among us? Is not his glory too superior?  He left paradise for this?

The ways of God are certainly not our ways, and the more we dwell in his word and contemplate his birth, the more we can appreciate the sacrifice of the suffering servant, who came to fulfill his father’s wishes—to save the lost and dying.

In the first winter storm this coming season when the hills and dales glisten in a blanket of whiteness, may we understand that because of Jesus’s blood, a believer’s sins are even whiter than the brilliance of the snowfall.