Worship

Exodus 23:33

...The worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you.

The way they worship their gods; what they do that honors their gods. It will look so good, so beneficial, so right, that you will be snared, caught up in it. Today we don't bow down to statues in our society (except Catholics), but our culture encourages us to put our trust into our own abilities, to "lift us up by our own bootstraps." To trust in the money we earn, or the company we work for, or the government that encourages us to be dependent on it. But our trust is to be in the God who created all things and everyone, and His Son who paid our debt; we are to think His thoughts, not the world's.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Reconciliation

II Corinthians 5:17-21

If anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! -- Because we are "in Christ" we don't have to fall back into the old pattern of doing what we think we want, into that old way of responding to that bad habit, or that old hurt that formerly ruled our days.

All this is from God, -- God has performed a miracle in each of us in causing us to be born into His own family by the New Birth.

Who reconciled us to Himself -- Just as I change my checkbook register to reconcile it to the bank statement, so God changed us to agree with who He is; the life He has is spiritual and He has given us that same spiritual life that He lives, causing His Spirit to come into our spirits to make them alive. Where we were dead spiritually, we are now alive.

Through Christ -- Because of what Jesus accomplished on the Cross and His Resurrection.

And gave us the ministry of reconciliation: -- We have a job to do, a ministry, to let people know what God has done for us.

That God was reconciling the world to Himself -- God is the only One who changed (will change) everything in relation to Himself.

In Christ, -- Only by what Jesus accomplished.

Not counting men's sins against them. -- God doesn't need to consider our sins on our side of the Ledger, but can now put them on Jesus' side.

And He has committed to us the message of reconciliation. -- This is the message we are to teach the world, that God has already taken care of all our sins, wounds and problems; in putting them on Jesus on the Cross to pay for all our debts; and God raised Him from the dead to prove that He accepted that payment on our behalf.

We implore you on Christ's behalf: Be reconciled to God. -- We are to implore, to beg you, to take God up on His offer to allow Jesus to pay your debt in full, and let Him change you into the person God created you to be, in planting in you His own Spirit to make you alive and able to do the good works that God planned ahead of time for you to do, so that you will get the benefits and He will get the credit.

God made Him who had no sin -- Jesus.

to be sin -- to carry our very sin-nature.

for us, -- in our place, each of us, to pay our debt of death.

So that in Him -- Only in Christ, who paid it.

we might -- Now it is possible.

become -- Actually be, not just do.

the righteousness of God. --To be able to do what is right in every circumstance because of the power of His Spirit living in us, the same power that raised Jesus from the dead. Each of us now is His temple, where He lives.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Live Up To What We Have

Philippians 3:16

Only let us live up to what we have already attained.

We all know what we know. We have some idea of how God loves us, and some of what he has revealed to us of Himself, of who He is. We have learned that we ought to be kind, to love our neighbor, to help the poor, because that's how God is good to us. But how often do we just think of ourselves, of what would serve our purposes, of what would please us. We even sometimes fool ourselves into thinking that we are working for God's purposes, when we're really just following our own agenda. 

God has given each of us different combinations of personality, natural abilities and talents, and various spiritual gifts. Each one of us is different from every other one, even identical twins are different from each other. So the plans He has for each of us is according to the way He made each of us, different from every other. God made us all different, so that everything would get done. You are concerned for the environment? Good, we need to take care of this planet God has put us in charge of. You are concerned for the animals about to go extinct, or are being treated shamefully? Good, they are here for our use, but not abuse. You are concerned for the children who don't have enough to eat? Good, they are precious, and we can do much to meet their needs. You are concerned for the lost, and desire that they hear the Gospel to further God's Kingdom here on earth? Good, that's the most pressing need, and we are to pray that God sends more workers into the fields that are already white to harvest. 

Let us all do what we can, and everything will get done.

O my Father, You have been so good to me, and You continue to shower upon me Your goodness, every day and in every way. Thank you so much for all the ways You have taken care of me each day, and all the wonderful blessings You shower upon me continually. Please help me to remember Your ways as I leave my house to spend time with people, people You love. Let me get my focus off of myself and actually see them as You see them, to listen to them with Your ears, and enable me to be Your hands, Your feet, Your voice, to meet their needs in ways that will benefit them; and You will receive the credit, the glory. Help me to live up to all that I have already attained.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Johnathan's Love For David

II Samuel 1:25-26

How the mighty have fallen in battle! Johnathan lies slain on your heights.

I grieve for you, Johnathan my brother; You were very dear to me.

Your love for me was wonderful, more wonderful than that of women.

David was a man who knew God, so he knew what real love was--he knew the unconditional love of God, and he recognized that love also in Johnathan. That love is not physical. None of David's wives were actually in love with him; even Michal, who thought she loved him, only loved the idea of him as the great hero and king, and when he took off his royal robes and danced in the common tunic before the Lord, she hated him. Johnathan loved David for who he was.

God loves us for who we are, too. This love is pure, it is true, it is deeper than we can know, and nothing we can do will ever change this love, to increase it or decrease it. This is the love that sent His only Son, Jesus, to become a Man, to pay our debt of sin for each of us, so that now God is free to forgive us. He will draw us to Himself, teach us His ways (for they are not our ways), meet all our needs, and help us to have the victory over all our hurts, bad habits and hangups. He will show us how to solve all our problems, heal all the wounds we have or have inflicted on others, mend our family relationships, and use us as His hands and feet to reap the fields of the world, ripe to harvest, sharing His Gospel, His Good News of Jesus' death and resurrection.

God is "not willing that any should perish, but that all would come to repentance." That is His love for us all. But He will not force us. He gently calls, and those who refuse to hear His call, who rebel against His authority as Creator, and choose to go their own way; He will allow to go their own way, away from goodness, away from order, away from light and love, and allow them their choice to spend eternity without Him. But to those who want to know the Truth, who make the effort to seek Him, and desire to know His ways; He will call, and they will answer; He will draw and they will come; He will save and redeem from the bondage that has enslaved them, giving them the power and authority to make good choices to do good and righteous acts. This is what He has done in and for me, and He wants to do the same for you, too.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!

Martha And Mary

Luke 10:38-42

As Jesus and His disciples were on their way, He came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to Him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to Him and asked, "Lord, don't You care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

I don't think I've understood this passage sufficiently, as I've seen it as reinforcing my laziness. I tend to be more of a Mary, who "sat at the Lord's feet listening to what He said," rather than actually doing "all the preparations that had to be made." I've always been happy to sit with the guys discussing deep theological issues, while the women toiled in the kitchen. It seems I can always be content to sit while others worked. There will always be things that have to be done, and someone has to do them. But Martha was distracted, worried and upset; Mary was relaxed. I'm trying to find the balance here.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Life And Death, Blessing And Cursing

Deuteronomy 30:15,19

Moses said: See, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil. I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your children may live.

"Choose life, that both you and your children may live" would make a good bumper sticker.

Today America has chosen death for our children. We call it choice, but only if it is a choice for death, and by this we have chosen God's curse upon our once great nation.

My prayer is that God would return His righteousness to America before the end. Jesus is coming soon, we don't know how soon, but all the signs to look for seem to be present all at the same time today. We need leaders who have a high personal moral standard, and will not compromise the Truth for convenience or political gain. As a Democratic Republic, we as Americans are responsible to elect those officials who will represent us in the halls of Congress, and the Executive branch. When good men do nothing, it leaves the evil men to prevail, which they have done. If each one of us will do what we can do, we will again be the salt and light this world needs.

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

Effort And Envy

Matthew 20:15

Don't I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?

Our society today has elected a government that encourages envy. We have God-given rights, including life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness. But our government has decided to punish the achievers and give to those who have not put forth the effort. We have been denied our right to do what we want with our own money, and have instead been forced to fund many programs that reward indolence and laziness; that do nothing to better the citizens, but instead to make them poor, dependent subjects. This creates in them the belief that society owes them a living, without contributing anything useful or valuable to that society, of getting something for nothing. But there's no "free lunch" in this world, somebody has to pay. The only funds any government has are the taxes they have assessed on those citizens who have earned an income by providing some value that is worth getting paid for. So those who are responsible and provide for the needs of the people are the ones who have to pay for the ones who do not have a job, who do nothing to contribute, so "need" to have someone else pay for their food, housing, etc. The number of those who today depend on the government for their income far outnumbers those who are unable to provide for their own needs. Our government keeps these people poor, in that it would cost them their hand-out if they sought more self-respecting means, so it maintains power over them to control them. 

Even so, come, Lord Jesus!