Dec

03

Rejoice, rejoice… again, I say, rejoice!

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The commands declared by Apostle Paul regarding a believer’s conduct seem daunting at first glance. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks, for this is the will of Christ Jesus concerning you.”  1Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Yes, it’s a high bar. That is, if we do these things in our own strength, but we are able to rejoice always and remain content in all things by knowing we have God’s grace and His strength to draw upon. It won’t be a “hey, let’s party!” attitude when trials come but, rather, something deeper—a quiet praise that transcends our present circumstances.

We can pray without ceasing in that we present our lives and our focus toward God, repeatedly and consistently bringing our hearts before him. We’re not asked to don robes or spend time on our knees all day. It’s the position of our heart that God embraces.

In everything, we give thanks when we fully trust that God is fully in charge and knows what he’s doing. From our earthly perspective, we may not see the pieces fitting together but from heaven, the picture is all too clear.

Rejoice, pray, and give thanks—always and in everything. It is our spiritual service toward a gracious and loving God.

Nov

26

Hide and Seek

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Nothing escapes God’s notice. We can appear to be good Christians outwardly, but it’s true, only God knows the heart.

King David was such a man that even though he was a “man after God’s own heart,” he had a problem with lust; so much so, that he had a man killed over it. Rather than readily admit his sin publicly, he kept it hidden until the tangled mess of sin unraveled, and he paid a high price for it.

All was not lost for David. Soon afterward, he repented. He revealed to God what he’d kept hidden from the world.

Why did David wish to become so vulnerable?  It appeared he wanted God to root out the sin deep within him and for the Lord to make him clean. He knew how much the Lord loved him, even while a sinner, and trusted that God would purify his heart to make him holy and to restore the lost fellowship from his sin.

Inside the depths of our souls lies stuff only God can restore —the hidden person that needs spiritual cleansing and renewal. May we, with David, share this mindset continually as we contemplate our ways before the Lord.

“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my thoughts. See if there is any wicked way in me and lead me in the way everlasting.” Psalm 139:33-34

Nov

20

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With thanksgiving in their hearts, the early settlers gave praise and honor to the Lord for many things; most notable, a liberal harvest. William Bradford wrote:

“…And afterwards the Lord sent them such seasonable showers, with interchange of fair warm weather as, through His blessing, caused a fruitful and liberal harvest, to their no small comfort and rejoicing. For which mercy, in time convenient, they also set apart a day of thanksgiving… By this time harvest was come, and instead of famine now God gave them plenty … for which they blessed God.” 

When we stop to think about all that we’ve been blessed with as believers, the list should begin and end with Christ. Having Jesus as our Lord and Savior is our fruitful bounty. Everything else is just gravy. For the Lord is our everything, and all that we have stems through his love and mercy—his grace to us.

With the Thanksgiving holiday soon here, we, as a nation, will celebrate all that is important to us. As we gather around the table with family and friends to feast on good food and fellowship, let’s take time to remember the ones who are suffering for their beliefs and pray that God would abundantly bless them with his power and that they would feel his presence in their midst.

Nov

12

The Ultimate Battle

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On Veteran’s Day, we salute the brave men and women who fought to keep our nation safe during war time. So many sacrificed their lives in order that we may have liberty in America, and we’ve all benefited from their noble plight on the bloody battlefield.

There’s another who’s bled and given up his life sacrificially. Jesus, the savior of the world, came from heaven to bridge the gap between our sin and fellowship with the Father. He left his throne as the anointed one and came to sin-filled earth. His battlefield was the cross.

America is the land of the free, thanks to the hard won struggles of our founding fathers and the many who died for this country. While we have freedom in America, we are only truly free in Jesus.

Thank you, vets, for your courage and bravery. Thank you, Lord, for sending your beloved son to fight the fight we couldn’t manage on our own.

Nov

04

The Battle is the Lord’s

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In life as well as death, the evils of sin will have a lasting impact on our lives. The choices we make when we are tempted will either be for good or for evil; it’s a battle that we’ll fight until the end. Though for the believer, we’ve already won the war.

When an unrepentant sinner dies, he dies under the weight of his own damnation. No one can pardon one’s own cursedness.  Sin is what gives death its sting. But Jesus took all that away! His atonement on our behalf paves the way to life everlasting. Rest assured, when a believer dies, his soul does not decay through death; it remains untarnished. It’s shiny, bright, alive and present with our Redeemer.

Because Jesus fulfilled the law as it states in Romans 6:14, “There is now no condemnation for those who believe.” Not by our own moral fortitude but through the grace of Messiah Jesus.

When you’re in the midst of battling with temptation, take heart and remember that it’s “…God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” ~ 1 Cor. 15:57. The battle is not ours to fight. It belongs to the Lord.