Anticipation

Looking forward to visiting St Petrie's Lutheran church tomorrow.  I was able to preach there earlier this year and was pleased to be a part of their service. I'm preaching on 1st Peter 1 :13-16, and am trusting God to be an encouragement for them. It's a small but great group of people.

No title for this one. I was able to preach this past Sunday and I trust everything went well. I had a very strong sense of God's Spirit, and felt very confident as I was preaching and afterward. It was very gratifying since I was nervous all week about it. It has been several weeks since I had an chance to speak, and I felt a little rusty. I'm very grateful for Gods grace and Spirit's enabling. I was in  very good frame of mind all day today, and I think it's because of His Presence, and my own personal satisfaction concerning the opportunity. I have another service set for next Sunday also. I've been there before and although its a small group, the people are very warm and receptive to the Gospel message. It amazes me, at times more than usual, that God moves as He does, especially since my heart has been distracted by so many things lately. I really had to quiet down and focus on the task at hand. As soon as the service was scheduled I felt the constraints of the Spirit around my mind, heart and even outward circumstances.  It was a sobering reminder of the call of God and responsibility of preaching.  Anyway I'm very grateful tonight with a deep sense of peace.

Constrained To Liberty

The result of Jesus Christ's work on the cross is that He has obtained for Himself a people who will serve and worship Him forever, and who will also demonstrate to all the excellent nature of God.  If that is the case then the words of Jesus in the Gospels that we,"lose our life" to find it become very appropriate and meaningful. They become foundational for what the Apostle Paul writes in Colossians 3:3 and what we read in these verses today in 2 Corinthians 5:14-15. "For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died; and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." {NASB}At the root of a life so lived is the love of God. The love of God called agape in Greek has been called the supreme christian virtue. It is certainly a heart issue, as it is the product of a heart affected by the saving grace of God in Christ. But more importantly it is a heart issue for God. Because the weight of this word is in the fact that it was the love of God, from the heart of God, that  caused the action of God. That action was showing love in sending Jesus into this world, and again in Christ calling sinners to repentance and faith, and then again in shedding that same love abroad in our hearts so that it is a decisive, real thing in our lives.  Brought about by His Holy Spirit, it captures us, constrains us, circles us, hems us in, leaving no doubt that God loves us and we belong to Him. Therefore, as we experience this liberating agape love of Christ, we are compelled and constrained to live a life of devotion to God.  We are liberated from a debilitating selfishness to a life devoted to Gods' interests.  Where and how can we demonstrate such godly love? Well, the where is easy-wherever we are today. The how is between ourselves and the Lord.  How is God leading you? Who are the persons, groups or causes that might need a helping hand that you or I can provide? Remember we are here not to please ourselves, but Him who called us to be blessings and point the way to Christ. We live not for ourselves, but for Him who died and rose on OUR behalf. Let God show you, and be prepared to follow. God will certainly be glorified, souls helped and saved, and His people will be blessed!

Legacy

Legacy

Psalm 71: 17-18 reads thus, "Oh God, You have taught me from my youth, and I still declare Your wondrous deeds. And even when I am old and gray, oh God do not forsake me until I have declared Your strength to this generation, and Your power to all who are to come."
These words in the middle of this psalm are quite touching in themselves, but even more so when we consider the context and who spoke them.  We have the heartfelt prayer of a child of God, who after many years of faithful service, now has the confidence to call on Him for present help, worship Him for past victories, and with a settled purpose vow to continue on in faithful relationship and service to God. Reading the entire psalm, we find that he has walked with God from his youth through all the seasons of life.  He faced and faced down many an enemy, suffered the scorn of the godless, yet found strength in the sustaining Presence of God Who has brought him safely to this point in his full life. Now, these two verses tell us that this man knows his life is more than just a long collection of months and years. He realizes that his days add up to a Godly legacy of one redeemed sinners interaction with the divine One. What a great perspective and motivation for a christian live day by day!  If we can see that part of our maturing as Christians is in God making our lives a legacy of courageous obedience and blessing for His glory, and for the sake of those coming after us, what an impact for righteousness that would have on us. We have our struggles as this old saint did, but like him we can face down our challenges with grace and confidence in Christ Jesus our great Shepherd. Perhaps today we can consider living with our legacy in mind. What legacy are we leaving for our children? Our marriage? How will they remember us if we change jobs or move away? I trust that our legacy will be like this dear old saint, who gave God glory, and could say that "God has taught me from my youth and I still declare your wondrous deeds." May God help us to begin today to build a living and enduring legacy of humble righteousness and courage.