September 15, 2012

“A Time to Choose”

Scripture:

So we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be accepted by God because of our faith in Christ—and not because we have obeyed the law. For no one will ever be saved by obeying the law.
(Galatians 2:16) NLT

Observation:

No living person has the ability nor the power to stand justified before the Most Holy One of Israel. In order for anyone to stand holy and blameless in the eyes of the Living God, we, too, must be holy as He is Holy. And the only way for our justification and holiness (so we can escape God’s final punishment) is through His forgiveness of sin and the holy covering of our Lord, Jesus Christ (Romans 3:23-25).

Application:

Because of the sinful nature we all inherit, we are cursed with the human weakness to fight the evil, God hating power of sin, and thus, we need the blood of Christ to cleanse us and His holiness to save us. There is no other Way, for our inherent human weakness to sin is our condemnation. We cannot save ourselves no matter how righteous we try to be, or how righteous we think we are. We all have the tendency to do whatever we feel like doing, rather than doing what is righteous and pleasing to God. Many of us only come to God when we are in desperate need of something greater than ourselves, because we hate to admit that we are powerless in our own circumstances. And God hates pride! Pride is the reason that Lucifer, the greatest and most beautiful of God’s angels was thrown out of Heaven and condemned to the eternal Lake of Fire with no chance for redemption. It was the human pride of Jewish leaders that led to the murder of the Son of Man. It is our stubborn pride that is our ticket to Hell. But there is very good news, for we now live in the Age of the Church and we know there is only One Truth, because the Lord our God has poured out His Holy Spirit to reveal His Truth and give us the Resurrection Power that not only helps us walk through the sanctification process, but gives us the strength to maintain the holiness that God calls us to have (Leviticus 19:2). Upon our acceptance of God’s redemptive plan through Christ Jesus, we have the sacrificial blood of Christ to cleanse us, His sacrificial death that saves us, God’s resurrection power to sustain us, and God’s promise of eternal life to reward us. God had His plan for mankind before the foundation of the earth was laid. And unlike the waves of the sea, the Creator does not waver in His ways. Unlike the finite creatures that we are, God knows that we cannot live without Him. His infinite Wisdom and Power and Mercy is all the grace we need. For He knows that we are mere humans, not god’s; that we are weak and vulnerable, and are lives are but a dream—once realized, but soon forgotten. Our earthly lives are just a blink of an eye, but our souls (our very spirits themselves) are eternal. This is why our Holy and Just God has given us all fair warning—why He has given us the Way and the time to choose. God wants no one to perish, but the time is growing dangerously close to the completion of His redemptive plan. It’s time to choose, if you have not already done so. Don’t wait, dear friends—don’t let the Perfect and Holy Justice of God decide for you— for if you do, you will not be pleased.

Prayer:

What a glorious and awesome God you are, O LORD. Your love and faithfulness is unending and has no bounds. You are, the Great I Am—You are our Great Gift Giver—You and You alone are our only hope for salvation, for You are the only Savior of Creation. Amen

September 8

“Most Trustworthy”

Scripture:

Stop putting your trust in mere humans. They are as frail as breath. How can they be of help to anyone? (Isaiah 2:22) NLT

Observation:

Trusting in ourselves or other flawed human beings to do for you what only God can do is not only short-sighted, but foolish as well (Proverbs 28:26). Relying on anyone but the LORD God Himself will always leave you feeling either letdown or unsatisfied at best. Putting your hope in this dying world and those who belong to it will only bring you even more disappointment than you have already experienced from trusting in your own abilities and others to gain whatever it is that you don’t have.

Application:

The sinfulness that human pride brings into this world becomes so misleading that it blinds us from the Truth of who God is, of what God can do, and what God has planned for mankind! It is God’s will that will prevail. He is sovereign over all things. There is nothing bigger, or mightier, or more trusting than our triune God and Creator. God’s truth is absolute. His Word is the final authority. His ways are always best and God can be trusted fully with anything in our lives. No one on this earth will ever love you as completely as God loves you. No one knows you better than the One who formed you in your mother’s womb. There is no one better for you to trust than the King of the Universe—your Advocate—the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb of God who died every sinners death so you would not have to. There is no one more forgiving, more understanding, or more dedicated to your life than the One who gave you this life. The many lies that Satan rules this sin filled world with are hopeless and futile and cannot be trusted for anything good, especially for your ever-living needs. When we go to God first for whatever it is we need, we can trust and rely on Him, because whatever He gives us will not only be sufficient, but will be exactly what is best for us (Micah 7:7-8). God will not withhold from you any good thing when you belong to Him (Psalm 84:11). He is your Father, the One who brought you into this life—the One who gave up the glory of Heaven to live and die in a dark and evil world so that you could live and live forever. Our Mighty God is, was, and always will be—Most Trustworthy.

Prayer:

Thank You, dear Lord, for the Truth we can live by and one that is trustworthy indeed. It is comforting to know that when we lay down to sleep we can sleep in peace! Amen

September 1, 2012

“Unstoppable”

Scripture:

Then Job replied to the LORD; “I know that You can do anything,
and no one can stop You.” (Job 42:1-2) NLT

Observation:

I believe that knowing and accepting this absolute truth about the Creator is the beginning of sincere human humility. For without the solid foundation that this truth brings to life, life itself is not only disturbing, but confusing at best. Man cannot successfully navigate through this life without a point of reference that is both constant and reliable—ways that will guide us in the right direction—ways that remind us of who we really are, especially in our relationship with God and His supreme scheme of things.

Application:

We cannot possibly begin to understand the depths of our existence and why things are what they are (Romans 11:33-34) without God’s true purpose and destination in mind. Fact: God created man in His own likeness and for His glory. Fact: God, the Creator, personally owns everything that He creates, including each and every precious human life that He forms in the womb. Fact: God does what God must do! We have a Father in Heaven, my friends, an Infinite Father who wants the best for every person He creates; even those who continually deny Him. We have a High Priest who sits at the right hand of God in Heaven; One who saved all humanity from God’s wrath and the only One who can successfully advocate on our behalf (Hebrews 10:12). And we have a Holy Spirit who is alive and working in our fallen world, changing hearts, changing lives, and bringing much needed peace of mind and hope to the people of this world; even amidst the seemingly unending chaos that sin-filled rebellion against God brings to this world. Our Triune God wants no one to perish, and it is for this reason that He gives us a choice and a time to choose Him. And when we do, He instantly becomes for us everything we need, and then guides us to achieve our dreams of a better future filled with joy rather than pain. He becomes our Strong Tower—a Place where we can escape the daily assaults from our enemies—a Place of safety and comfort—a Place where we will find a much needed rest for our tired and weary souls (Proverbs 18:10). When we know that God is on our side and for us, nothing can stand in His way—nothing will stop Him from doing what He wants to accomplish. When is comes to saving His creation from destruction, the LORD our God is totally and inequitably the unstoppable Power that you need by your side. Walking with God is an unstoppable journey to Heaven.

Prayer:

One of the greatest gifts You have given us, O Lord, is the gift of Your Presence—knowing that we can run to You for all our needs, especially when trouble and sorrow comes our way. Just knowing that we can find peace and rest is something that is beyond my ability to express gratitude for You. Amen

August 25, 2012

“Living Redeemer”

Scripture:

But as for me, I know that my Redeemer lives, and that He will stand upon the earth at last. And after my body has decayed, yet in my body I will see God! I will see Him for myself. Yes, I will see Him with my own eyes. I am overwhelmed at the thought! (Job 19:25-27) NLT

Observation:

I believe one of the most important questions that all Christians should ask themselves is this: If your life circumstances were that of Job’s—where you lost your family, your home, your health and all that you had, would you, too, stand strong in our faith that God is truly God? Could you still love and honor Him, or would you hate and turn against Him?

Application:

I’m not trying to diminish anyone’s difficult circumstances or am I implying that God intentionally causes us great grief, but just as Job was singled out by God to get His point across, we, too, may find ourselves singled out by God and thrown into circumstances that we don’t understand—trials that will test our faith—trials that bring us down. This short and difficult life has its ways of making us feel like we have personally been singled out and oppressed, causing us to doubt God and this life. We, for the moment, must live in a world cursed with sin and ruled by the powers of darkness—those unseen enemies who hold the powers of fear and death, (Ephesians 6:12), and hate the God of the Bible. And until Jesus returns to set up His earthly Kingdom, living on this earth will continue to decay morally and get even more difficult and dangerous to live in. No one will be immune. And yes, all living things will suffer. But, there is Hope—Hope for the world, for we have a Redeemer, my friends, we have Christ Jesus—God in the flesh—the Living God who physically lived as a man, untarnished by sin, and became the Perfect Sacrificial Lamb who redeemed all of mankind (Isaiah 53:6). Unlike Job, we know that God walked upon the earth bringing us hope in salvation. And we know that no matter how we suffer or how difficult this life becomes, we will live on to see God Face to face. Focusing on this incredible promise will always give you peace in your trials and the strength to faithfully carry on—taking on each difficult circumstance and trusting God’s Power with each one (Ephesians 6:10). Without the blessed Hope that God has given us in the resurrection of His Son, this life is meaningless. Without God’s Guiding Light, we live groping in darkness in a desperate search for truth. In all circumstances, if you have faith in your Redeemer, you have it all. For when you doubt (and you will), you can take the Hand of Living God and walk in His Presence, and by focusing on the Author and the Finisher of Life, you will experience the joy and freedom of knowing that our Redeemer lives!

Prayer:

Thank You, dear Lord, for taking my pain and suffering, and for giving me new life. How I look forward to that day when I will see You Face to face. Until then you will continue to live in my heart doing what only You are able to do. Amen