Sometimes we as followers of Jesus Christ and part of His church don't realize as often as we should the marvel of what we are part of. We are members of His kingdom, His inheritance, and are destined to be with Him forever in a glorious dwelling in heaven. Eternity has begun for us already, by virtue of salvation and the forgiveness of our sins, and the subsequent dwelling of His Holy Spirit within us.
We are part of an entity that is indestructible and secured for glory. I know we don't often think of the church in those terms, but it is the reality none the less. If we think about it for a minute we will realize that the church has faced opposition and resistance from the very beginning of her existence. She has faced cruelties and hostilities of every kind yet still can not be eliminated. How many tyrants and political movements have tried to snuff the church out of existence in their own countries, let alone the world, and have failed? History is full of examples. How many times has the church fallen into complacency, odd doctrines and heresies, materialism, superstition, conflict, sins and moral failure? Examples of those times are many also. Yet, when the church of Jesus Christ is at the lowest ebb of spiritual vitality, or beset by cruel enemies about to destroy her, God pours out what is described in Scripture a " Spirit of grace and of supplication."
God works in His own people to move us to pray, repent, confess, and to seek Him for help and strength to overcome, and be delivered. God responds as we respond to His Spirit of prayer and repentance. History has many examples of that as well. Revivals have come upon a feeble church over and over, and not only is the church restored, but society and culture is moved forward and enhanced as well. The church is indestructible because God willed her into existence before creation, and you and I are part of this great and wonderful, predestined work of God.
So when discouraging circumstances face you or surround you, remember what you are part of. God is for you, what can be against you? God has freely given us His Son Jesus to insure our salvation. Will He let difficult events destroy you or me or any of His people? He will not. He has not in the past, He will not today, for He is determined to have a people with Him through all of eternity. Let that be your strong assurance today. Respond to God's Spirit of prayer, seek Him, obey His wise instruction, find security knowing that He is for you, as He has been for all His church in all ages.
Thursday, October 25, 2018
Friday, October 19, 2018
Thankful Thoughts
Thinking about the many blessings that people enjoy because of faith in Jesus Christ. As I look over the recent years of my life I can recognized the hand of God in many areas. There was a time when financially, things were pretty precarious. Our income dropped and we had fallen behind on bills, were dealing with phone calls from various creditors, and generally very tight as far as our budget was concerned.
Personally, I had a job that I was happy with, but not really contented as I worked each day. There was a sense of restlessness, a feeling deep down that there was something else I should be about. My wife and I remained faithful in prayer, attended our church to worship the Lord, remained faithful to tithe a full tenth of our income. We believed God would somehow bring us to more quiet waters. But even if He did not, we were willing to serve Him regardless, knowing that even though our finances were tight and scarce, we really didn't lack anything. Our priorities were set. The real necessities of our life were all met and we seemed to always work things out. It was rough at times, but we found that the Lord was always faithful. And even in those times when His schedule was different than ours {or the due date} things always smoothed out.
But today as I sit to write these things I am one who is very much aware of God's blessings and His keeping Presence. The past year and a half has been a time of provision and quiet but sure increase. Finances are the area I've chosen to highlight but there are many other aspects of our walk that God's favor and blessings are evident. Our family, our finances, our ministry, our spiritual development and insight, our influence for the Gospel's sake, all these areas of life for us are experiencing the hand of God's touch and increase. The turbulent times are behind us for now, and we live with the realization that although we are comfortable now, we do not want to become complacent in our comfort zone. Each day we receive as an opportunity to receive from the Lord, so that we may minister to others. Our tithe has gone up, as has our missions giving, and this may seem strange, but every time I send off some bills by mail, I actually pray and thank God that I can pay them as they drop into the mailbox. I actually pray for God to bless our bills! Can one do that? Well, I'm doing it!
But the greatest of all His provisions is the sense of trust and faithfulness that I have each day. Not that I trust God, but that I have learned more than ever that He is trustworthy. Not that I am faithful to pay my tithe, or give to missions, but that He is the true faithful One. I know that my faith in Him, imperfect as it is, is not misplaced.
If anyone reading today is in a tough spot of any kind, stay true in your devotion and commitment to Jesus Christ. Know that for sure, someday some way, He will surely make things better. You are never out of His care. The day will certainly come when you will sit and say, surely the mighty God has done great things for me. In fact, start saying that today! Start confessing and acknowledging the ways God has blessed and will bless you and your situation. He is not far from any of us, if we will but look for Him in the day to day, we will find Him and be greatly comforted as we see His care even in the small things of a normal day.
May God bless and fill you with overflowing confidence and hope as you face your struggle, and may you have a sense of victory that is already yours because of Jesus Christ.
Personally, I had a job that I was happy with, but not really contented as I worked each day. There was a sense of restlessness, a feeling deep down that there was something else I should be about. My wife and I remained faithful in prayer, attended our church to worship the Lord, remained faithful to tithe a full tenth of our income. We believed God would somehow bring us to more quiet waters. But even if He did not, we were willing to serve Him regardless, knowing that even though our finances were tight and scarce, we really didn't lack anything. Our priorities were set. The real necessities of our life were all met and we seemed to always work things out. It was rough at times, but we found that the Lord was always faithful. And even in those times when His schedule was different than ours {or the due date} things always smoothed out.
But today as I sit to write these things I am one who is very much aware of God's blessings and His keeping Presence. The past year and a half has been a time of provision and quiet but sure increase. Finances are the area I've chosen to highlight but there are many other aspects of our walk that God's favor and blessings are evident. Our family, our finances, our ministry, our spiritual development and insight, our influence for the Gospel's sake, all these areas of life for us are experiencing the hand of God's touch and increase. The turbulent times are behind us for now, and we live with the realization that although we are comfortable now, we do not want to become complacent in our comfort zone. Each day we receive as an opportunity to receive from the Lord, so that we may minister to others. Our tithe has gone up, as has our missions giving, and this may seem strange, but every time I send off some bills by mail, I actually pray and thank God that I can pay them as they drop into the mailbox. I actually pray for God to bless our bills! Can one do that? Well, I'm doing it!
But the greatest of all His provisions is the sense of trust and faithfulness that I have each day. Not that I trust God, but that I have learned more than ever that He is trustworthy. Not that I am faithful to pay my tithe, or give to missions, but that He is the true faithful One. I know that my faith in Him, imperfect as it is, is not misplaced.
If anyone reading today is in a tough spot of any kind, stay true in your devotion and commitment to Jesus Christ. Know that for sure, someday some way, He will surely make things better. You are never out of His care. The day will certainly come when you will sit and say, surely the mighty God has done great things for me. In fact, start saying that today! Start confessing and acknowledging the ways God has blessed and will bless you and your situation. He is not far from any of us, if we will but look for Him in the day to day, we will find Him and be greatly comforted as we see His care even in the small things of a normal day.
May God bless and fill you with overflowing confidence and hope as you face your struggle, and may you have a sense of victory that is already yours because of Jesus Christ.
Friday, October 5, 2018
Not Just Anyones God
The Psalmist writes a very profound passage in Psalm 89:26. He writes," He will cry to me, You are my Father, My God, and the rock of my salvation." I guess what stood out to me about this is the order of the titles he uses for God. First he calls God Father, then his God, then the rock of his salvation.
In the context the writer is writing of David the king, how God called him from obscurity to be the king of Israel, who would serve with the fear of God. But I was reminded of the relationship between people and God. For any one of us to be in right standing with Him, we have to be brought into His family, His kingdom. That is something that only God can do. He must by His Holy Spirit cause us to be deeply aware of our sins, and turn in true repentance to Christ Jesus for forgiveness, which will result in what Jesus called being born again. When we are born again, we are born of His Spirit, therefore our spiritual life has God as its' source, and we are brought into our place with His holy people. He has become our Father.
Then and only then, can we call Him our God. Before we are born again, we may be religious, or have some sense of God, or an idea of who He is, but He is not our God. He must be our Father first, before He can be our God. He is God regardless, but He is not our God until He saves us and brings us into the family of God through Jesus Christ. Then He becomes ours, and we cherish the relationship we now have with Him.
We cherish that relationship because we find Him to be faithful, dependable. His promises are solid and unwavering. We discover that what our God says, He will certainly do and bring glory to His name in doing so. He does only what is right, good, honorable, and ultimately beneficial for us and for all concerned. In the darkest times of life, we find that He, our God, our Father who is in heaven, truly is the Rock of our salvation. We face the trials of life with strength He supplies because we are His own people. There are many people who are not in the family of God who show great courage and strength in times of adversity. They have a greater capacity to endure hardship than others, and that's a good quality to have. But even so, they do not have the Eternal Rock of salvation that Christians do. Often such people after going through a tragedy or season of trial can get bitter, or resentful. Perhaps they will even blame God for allowing it to happen to them. He is not their Father. He is our Father, our God and the Rock of our salvation. The same trials make the child of God more humble, more sensitive to the hurts of others, and able to empathize with them.
May you enter into this relationship today through faith in Jesus Christ. May we also guard and cherish our relationship even more so in these days of lawlessness. May we be firmly secured on the Rock of our salvation.
In the context the writer is writing of David the king, how God called him from obscurity to be the king of Israel, who would serve with the fear of God. But I was reminded of the relationship between people and God. For any one of us to be in right standing with Him, we have to be brought into His family, His kingdom. That is something that only God can do. He must by His Holy Spirit cause us to be deeply aware of our sins, and turn in true repentance to Christ Jesus for forgiveness, which will result in what Jesus called being born again. When we are born again, we are born of His Spirit, therefore our spiritual life has God as its' source, and we are brought into our place with His holy people. He has become our Father.
Then and only then, can we call Him our God. Before we are born again, we may be religious, or have some sense of God, or an idea of who He is, but He is not our God. He must be our Father first, before He can be our God. He is God regardless, but He is not our God until He saves us and brings us into the family of God through Jesus Christ. Then He becomes ours, and we cherish the relationship we now have with Him.
We cherish that relationship because we find Him to be faithful, dependable. His promises are solid and unwavering. We discover that what our God says, He will certainly do and bring glory to His name in doing so. He does only what is right, good, honorable, and ultimately beneficial for us and for all concerned. In the darkest times of life, we find that He, our God, our Father who is in heaven, truly is the Rock of our salvation. We face the trials of life with strength He supplies because we are His own people. There are many people who are not in the family of God who show great courage and strength in times of adversity. They have a greater capacity to endure hardship than others, and that's a good quality to have. But even so, they do not have the Eternal Rock of salvation that Christians do. Often such people after going through a tragedy or season of trial can get bitter, or resentful. Perhaps they will even blame God for allowing it to happen to them. He is not their Father. He is our Father, our God and the Rock of our salvation. The same trials make the child of God more humble, more sensitive to the hurts of others, and able to empathize with them.
May you enter into this relationship today through faith in Jesus Christ. May we also guard and cherish our relationship even more so in these days of lawlessness. May we be firmly secured on the Rock of our salvation.
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