Fixing Our Eyes on Jesus

Today at church we spent some time on the subject of faith.  Most will immediately start thinking of Hebrews 11.  You will recognize that Bible chapter as the one that not only defines faith but also gives numerous examples of faith at work in the lives of numerous Bible characters.

Reaching all the way back to Genesis we are told by the Hebrew writer that it was by faith Able offered the more acceptable sacrifice to God. Even before that first example of Able, we are told in Hebrews 11:3, "By faith we understand that the universe was formed at God’s command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible."

Now notice from the list all the Biblical characters which are mentioned in this one chapter, and the fact they are remembered today because of their faith. The list includes Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Sarah, and others. That isn't the complete list because several verses later, Hebrews 11 starts again listing what has been called the "roll call of the faithful."

Want some more names?  Here are some others: Isaac, Jacob, and Esau are mentioned. Then there are others like Joseph, then Moses, and even those who crossed the Red Sea on dry ground.  I feel the need to mention also those who were involved in the Bible story of the walls of Jericho. There are more but I am going to direct you to Hebrews 11 to read the chapter and discover all the others whose lives were remembered because of their faith.  Moving into Hebrews chapter 12, after learning of all those whose faith was their motivating factor, it is no wonder they are also called the "great cloud of witnesses."

Read those verses closely and you will find information that will be spiritually beneficial. "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

It's time we got rid of those hindrances and the sin that ensnares us, and fix our eyes on Jesus.  Only he is the pioneer and perfecter of our faith.

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Sunday Praise & Worship

Being Holy

The section of scripture we are looking at today is 1 Peter 1:13-2:3

¹³ Therefore, with minds that are alert and fully sober, set your hope on the grace to be brought to you when Jesus Christ is revealed at his coming. ¹⁴ As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. ¹⁵ But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; ¹⁶ for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy.”
¹⁷ Since you call on a Father who judges each person’s work impartially, live out your time as foreigners here in reverent fear. ¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.
²² Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart.  ²³ For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. ²⁴ For,

“All people are like grass,
    and all their glory is like the flowers of the field;
the grass withers and the flowers fall,
²⁵     but the word of the Lord endures forever.”

And this is the word that was preached to you.

2 Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind. ² Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, ³ now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.

Bible Understanding 101 suggests to us when the word "therefore" begins a section of scripture, it ties what was previously said to the things the writer is now saying.  So a look backward into the first verses in 1 Peter 1, introduces us to who we are in Jesus Christ, and establishes his authority in our hearts when we choose to belong to him. 

The lengthy text above is tied to those earlier thoughts and now encourages us to be a "holy" person through living a holy life.  Not sure about you, but as hard as I try, I have difficulty claiming that word holy as a description of me. 

Peter wants us to know about God who judges impartially, and about Jesus who paid for our redemption with his life, and this should bring us a strong faith and hope. Also, now that we have been cleansed through obedience, our delivered lives are to be lived in loving relationships with others.  We can love all people because we have been born again.  In these verses Peter wants to assure us we can be holy, because God is holy, and we can be forgiving and loving to each other because God has loved and forgiven us. That type of lifestyle is lived in "tasting the goodness of the Lord." 

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Are you an evangelist?

We  are introduced to a new description of God's messenger in Acts 21 when Phillip is referred to as an evangelist.  It is a term we turn into a title when we are referring to a specific person who has made evangelism a primary part of his life. 

Scholars of the Bible use the term in describing the work of Jesus in his conversation with the woman at the well.  Paul told the young preacher Timothy to "do the work of an evangelist."  Even Luke, the author of the Book of Acts, a New Testament book about evangelism, is considered by some of the Bible experts to have also worked as an evangelist. 

What does the term mean to you?  Is it a title we give to those whose lives are devoted entirely to preaching and teaching the gospel?  Based on the wording of the Great Commission which Jesus gave, are we all, in some respects, commanded to be involved in evangelism, and does that make us all evangelists?  I read a story today that might shed some light on your answers to these questions.

The story setting is in the middle of the previous century, a time when a lot of commercial travel was by train.  On the train in the story, a man was seated near a woman, strangers to each other.  During the journey they conversed about various things including their families, the town in which they lived, and their interests.  When their conversation turned to the Bible, the man seemed more alert and the rest of their conversation had seemed of great importance to him. 

Arriving at the next stop, the woman thanked the man for their visit and conversation, as she exited the  train.  She was greeted at the depot by her husband and began telling him about the man she had met and how serious he got about their discussion of Christianity. She told her husband it would have been good if he had been on the train also, to witness how serious this man's faith was to him.

"What did the man say," asked the husband?  The wife replied, "he asked me if I was a Christian."  The husband quickly blurted out, "And did you tell him to mind his own business?"  The wife was quiet for a moment, thinking exactly how she was going to answer, but then she spoke. "He talked as though it was his business."

I believe there are countless blessings that go along with becoming a Christian.  Some of those blessings carry with them associated responsibilities, and the primary responsibility of every child of God is to reach in our homes, neighborhoods, and to every place in the world with the message of Jesus' salvation.  That makes you and me an evangelist with the determination of evangelizing the world. 

That doesn't mean we all must go to a preaching school or a Bible seminary.  It doesn't mean we all must make our livelihood from preaching and teaching.  But it does mean for every Christian there should be such a concern for the lost that we, by the actions and words of our lives, can demonstrate we are people who have met the Master who brings eternal life.  We, like Jesus,  must be about our Father's business. 

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Keep on Singing

A few summers ago I had the opportunity to visit a summer youth camp when one of my grandchildren was attending as a camper.  I had been invited to come to their evening devotional where several hundred youth campers had gathered for some time with God in worship.  Just today I was thinking of the "atmosphere" of that gathering of young people.  To be specific, I noted their enthusiasm in singing and thought about how it seemed those kids sang with greater zeal and attention than most of us older folks in a structured Sunday morning assembly.

Over the years I have spent considerable time in leading congregational singing, as well as singing in small groups.  With an educational background in music and now in my later years, I am still one to pay attention to the notes in a song book, as well as all the sharps, flats, and rests. And now, as not only a singer in the congregation, I like to think we sing songs that uplift our spirits while at the same time enjoying the worship and praise of our Heavenly Father.

Let me emphasize here that every note of every song I have sung, has not been in tune.  I may have to listen closer to make sure my harmony is blending, my tempo is correct, with most of the emphasis being God as the audience listening to me praise Him.

The scripture encourages us to "sing and make melody in our hearts."  That means to me, one of God's children, knowing he lives and abides in my heart, he is the first to know the genuineness of the praise I sing to him. I am attempting not only to make the songs pleasing to me, but to God.

I have also noticed there are some in the assembly who do not sing.  While I am one of those who will be vocal at every opportunity, I also confess my imperfections with an off-key note or perhaps my timing is out of wack. This is my greatest understanding of how to deal with these problems.  Keep on singing!  God desires these praises and overlooks our musical blunders.  Keep on singing!  You will grow closer to him with the routine of making melody in your hearts. Keep on singing!

"Sing and you'll be happy today. Press along to the goal, 
Trust in him who leads the way, He is keeping your soul;
Let the world know where you belong, Look to Jesus and pray.
Lift your voice and praise him in song, Sing and be happy today."

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Relationships

How would you describe your relationship with God?  The suggestions above give a pretty good idea of what it means to be in a relationship .    As I read the list I am amazed at the writer's knack of using the acrostic to describe our relationships, and how closely it describes our relationship with God, too.

My suggestion today, as you read this list, utilize the thoughts presented and see how they might be applied to how you relate to God and His Will.  But then, also spend some time in thinking how your relationships with others need to fit these ideas.  Which one or ones are most important in your relationships?

This is one time we will welcome comments, suggestions, and additions to the list.  Feel free to send us an email at the address below, and give your insight into how these suggestions can help you relate better to God, as well as be more effective in relating to others.

The thoughts and meditations on this theme will bring us closer together, help us to grow, and bring us into a deeper understanding of the "what and how" God would have us relate to himself and others. 

God bless your thoughts and prayers today. 

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Interrupting Jesus?

Mark 10:46-52

⁴⁶ Then they came to Jericho. As Jesus and his disciples, together with a large crowd, were leaving the city, a blind man, Bartimaeus (which means “son of Timaeus”), was sitting by the roadside begging. ⁴⁷ When he heard that it was Jesus of Nazareth, he began to shout, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁸ Many rebuked him and told him to be quiet, but he shouted all the more, “Son of David, have mercy on me!”
⁴⁹ Jesus stopped and said, “Call him.”
So they called to the blind man, “Cheer up! On your feet! He’s calling you.” ⁵⁰ Throwing his cloak aside, he jumped to his feet and came to Jesus.
⁵¹ “What do you want me to do for you?” Jesus asked him.
The blind man said, “Rabbi, I want to see.”
⁵² “Go,” said Jesus, “your faith has healed you.” Immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus along the road.

It seems so natural that a person who is blind is anxious and excited about Jesus passing his way. This man had a need and had obviously heard about some of the things Jesus had done so he wanted to make sure his cry out to the Lord was heard. 

The scripture says that many rebuked this man and tried to keep him quiet. But he continued shouting at Jesus. He wanted mercy from the Lord. The result is the good part of the story, as the man was healed because of his faith. 

My focus on the story is to question those that tried to get Bartimaeus to be quiet. Did they think he is interrupting Jesus from some greater mission?  Could they think the Lord could be so busy he didn't have time to minister to one seemingly insignificant blind man?  The real beauty of this story is when our Lord stopped what he was doing and called the man to him. There is no doubt about the happiness of the blind beggar as the scripture tells us he "threw his cloak aside and jumped to his feet and came to Jesus."

The point is this. No one is insignificant in the eyes of the Lord. Whatever need we have, it's important to Him.  He will not be too busy, he will never ignore, he will always be interested in the situations of our lives.

If the Lord's ministry had been programmed by big company officials today, every time we called on him, we would talk to a recorded message, or we would be put on hold until a more convenient time, or we would have to make an appointment at some date and time in the future. 

Jesus cares. He is interested in YOU. He wants you to cast your cares on Him, for he cares for you. 

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The garments of salvation...

Isaiah 61:10-11

¹⁰ I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness, 
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the soil makes the sprout come up and  a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

There is wonderful peace and exceeding joy when we know that God has clothed us with garments of salvation, and arrayed us in a robe of righteousness. Christians today need to know and understand how much the goodness of God is manifest in his people when they know God's salvation and God's righteousness.

Satan will attack us in an attempt to bring us down by convincing us that we are not worthy, or that we really do not receive salvation from God.  Sinners that we are, Satan will constantly work on us, getting us to believe that God would never save us.

In addition to the outward attacks of Satan, there are some inward attacks that happen, too. Inward accusations meant to tear down and damage the influence of the church. These may come in several forms, but the most evident movement from within the body of Christ is legalism. It rears its ugly head when Christians, under the guise of being defenders of the truth, try to bind us with a strict adherence to their list of biblical laws. Anyone that steps out of line is immediately suspect of not being a "real" Christian at all. The legalist cannot see that he allows himself to become exactly like the Pharisees, which Jesus continually chastised for making God's rules and laws a burden instead of a blessing. 

None of us will ever be perfect, and for me, I am glad. I can latch hold of the claim of Jesus that he did not come to save the perfect, he came to save the imperfect. Those who are not sick do not need a doctor, but those who suffer spiritual sickness can always lean on Jesus, the Great Physician. 

Legalism leads to self-righteousness, and those who make such a venture through life will have us believing our salvation is based on something we do, rather than God's grace, which assures us that salvation is something God does. My righteousness will not save me. Only God's righteousness can do the job. The legalist will have us believing we are under condemnation because of our sin. God wants us to receive forgiveness through Jesus paying the price for our sins on the cross. "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1.  It's time we praise God by celebrating the freedom he has given. 

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Better Than Life

It was Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, that taught us the importance of learning and opening our lives more to the presence of God when he said, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.”  Matthew 5:6

We do know when it's lunchtime or dinner time.  We are programmed to feel hunger then to satisfy that hunger through eating.  The same is true with the sense of thirst, which we meet with a drink of water.  Jesus is saying our spiritual desires toward righteousness are fulfilled when we actually hunger and thirst for righteousness. 

To actually see this happening, look to Psalm 63 (from ESV)

O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you;
    my soul thirsts for you;
my flesh faints for you,
    as in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
² So I have looked upon you in the sanctuary,
    beholding your power and glory.
³ Because your steadfast love is better than life,
    my lips will praise you.
⁴ So I will bless you as long as I live;
    in your name I will lift up my hands.

⁵ My soul will be satisfied as with fat and rich food,
    and my mouth will praise you with joyful lips,
⁶ when I remember you upon my bed,
    and meditate on you in the watches of the night;
⁷ for you have been my help,
    and in the shadow of your wings I will sing for joy.
⁸ My soul clings to you;
    your right hand upholds me.

⁹ But those who seek to destroy my life
    shall go down into the depths of the earth;
¹⁰ they shall be given over to the power of the sword;
    they shall be a portion for jackals.
¹¹ But the king shall rejoice in God;
    all who swear by him shall exult,
    for the mouths of liars will be stopped.

David knows what it is to sincerely be seeking God, when he says his soul thirsts, and his flesh faints for God.  He looks upon God and beholds his power and glory , and the result is endless praise from David's lips.  He now has a satisfied soul, one that clings to God.  He has experienced God's help and sings for joy.  We can agree.  When we seek and experience God like David, we will know God's love really is "better than life."

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Above all these.......put on love

From time to time I like to go read and re-read passages of scripture that I have read numerous times. Today I was looking in the letter of Paul to the Colossians, and noticed the words of Colossians 3.  The first 14 verses are divided into 3 paragraphs, and carry an abundance of information pertaining to our lives in Jesus Christ. 

"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ² Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. ³ For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. ⁴ When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory."   We have been raised with Jesus.  It's time for us to start living and acting like citizens of the Heavenly Kingdom.  That can happen when we set our minds on things above so when Jesus comes, we will be seen with him in glory.

^"5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. ⁶ Because of these, the wrath of God is coming.  ⁷ You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. ⁸ But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. ⁹ Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. ¹¹ Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all."   While we are still in this life, we are in a spiritual wrestling match with the world and the things of the world. In order to remain in Christ, we must continually be aware of the need to "put to death" the things of our earthly nature.  While we recognize with Paul that we used to have these ways in our lives prior to living for Christ, they all need to be brought under our control now, through dealing with them and erasing them from our lifestyle.  Paul says we have put on the new self which is continually being renewed, that we may reflect the image of our Creator.  That's why he can say to those in their new lives, that now, "Christ is all and is in all."

^"12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. ¹³ Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. ¹⁴ And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."   It is because we have been raised with Christ, and because we put to death our earthly nature, we can now as God's people, wrap ourselves with things like compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  We can extend understanding and forgiveness where previously we would have been judgmental and divisive.  The key to all relationships is seen in the verse which says we are to forgive as the Lord forgave us.  

The last verse there, verse 14 is the "icing on the cake."  Paul has talked about lots of things we need to carefully consider.  The life-changing event of becoming a believer and follower of Jesus brings about lots of changes in us.  Now he says, " And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."  Did you catch that?  It is our love for each other that binds us all together in unity.   Yes, there is more.  I will leave it to you to read the rest of the chapter, but here is a hint, the rest of the chapter leads us to experience peace in our lives and in our relationships.  God is so good, and he leaves no stone unturned.  Trust him. 

ronbwriting@gmail.com

Sunday Worship

Counting the Cost

Luke 9:57-62

⁵⁷ As they were walking along the road, a man said to him, “I will follow you wherever you go.”
⁵⁸ Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head.”
⁵⁹ He said to another man, “Follow me.”
But he replied, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.”
⁶⁰ Jesus said to him, “Let the dead bury their own dead, but you go and proclaim the kingdom of God.”
⁶¹ Still another said, “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.”
⁶² Jesus replied, “No one who puts a hand to the plow and looks back is fit for service in the kingdom of God.”

This section of Luke 9 is commonly referred to as "The Cost of Following Jesus."  Even if we have come to appreciate that salvation is free and leads us to experience the blessings of being free in the Lord, Jesus is talking to these people along the road who are apparently quick to say they will follow him, without considering everything involved in such a commitment.

Truly, there are some dangers of misunderstanding the cost.  There are some things we may be called on to give up. Other things which have been priorities to us will slide down to a lower level of priority.  Jesus is still calling people to follow him and that is a glorious invitation. But consider the seriousness of the commitment, and the examples Jesus gives of those who were vocal about following him, but other things suddenly took the place of their commitment. 

Even those of us that have been serving the Lord for years, can experience periods of misunderstanding the cost of discipleship, too. We may have began our Christian walk with enthusiasm and determination to accomplish great things in the work of the Lord. After years of such activity we have a tendency to step aside and let someone else do the work. We may even get to the point where we think we have reached the peak and have no more growing to do. We want the younger ones to step up and take a leadership role. 

Hopefully we can see the point Jesus was making in Luke 9.  He wants us to follow him and be active in service to him and to others. Be aware that the Christian life is a journey from beginning to end. The importance of commitment will be with us until we take our final breath. 

The Marines say they need a few good men. The coach demands hours of practice and perfect execution of planned plays. The conductor asks each member of the orchestra to follow his lead. Only Jesus asks us to follow him, and promises eternal life.  It's worth the cost of discipleship.

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Letting Go

I have been busy for several days going through boxes of "stuff" for a customer.  His instructions were for me to dig through the boxes and pull out the items I could sell, then clean them and price them and sell them for him.  I rarely let myself get talked into things like this.  Being in the business of buying and reselling, I am accustomed to earning 100% of the profit on such items, rather than a much smaller percentage if the merchandise is owned by someone else.  But this time I am doing it for a customer that has been good to me over the years.  

In the boxes were various old tools, used by someone that had a workshop and knew what each tool was designed to do.  I'm fairly "savvy" when it comes to tools so I thought this job wouldn't take very long.  That was, until I started going through some of the additional boxes and found tools and parts for repairing and modifying firearms.  I wish I knew more about that sort of thing but I found myself having to research lots of items to determine their value. 

One small box contained such repair parts which were from a company in Arizona.  One by one I tossed them in the growing pile of things I needed to research.  Then I noticed one of the small boxes was open and a card was sticking out of the box.  Thinking it might be some information that would help me determine its value, I pulled out the card and started reading.  To my surprise, the card said:

As children bring their broken toys,

With tears for us to mend,

I brought my broken dreams to God,

Because He is my friend.

But then, instead of leaving Him in peace to work alone,

I hung around and tried to help,

With ways that were my own.

At last I snatched them back and cried,

"How can you be so slow?"

"My child," He said, "What could I do?

You never did let go."

I cannot begin to tell you how much I needed the message on that card.  Coming from a box most people would call junk, I found a treasure from God with a powerful message for me.  Maybe you can also see yourself in the message of that card, just like I did. 

We hear sermons, have Bible studies, and even sing hymns that give us the encouragement to turn our problems, concerns, difficult times, and our sins over to God.  And sometimes we are quick with the effort of talking to God about everything that is out of kilter with us.  I must confess, like the person that wrote the words on that card, I am guilty of taking things to God that need fixed, and then hanging around to help him fix them.  The message is simple.....Take it to God and let him do his work.  We have already proven we are helpless when it comes to fixing everything. 

Now you can say with renewed meaning"  "Let go and let God!"

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Any Doubts?

Today, we are going to encourage you to think about your faith, your devotion to God, your willingness to make Jesus the Lord of your life, and maybe some other concepts which are the natural response of people who really strive to be a spiritual being.  It would be interesting to hear responses from everyone on their thoughts just from the opening sentence, but I want to challenge you with an important question.   Here goes:

Do you ever have doubts?  Allow me to expand with several questions we should ask ourselves.  Do we, as the people of God, find ourselves doubting him?  Are we always able to pray with the faith that he hears and answers?  Do we find ourselves thinking more about the physical rather than the spiritual?

When I think of a doubting Christian, my mind turns to that follower of Jesus named Thomas.  We have even become comfortable in calling him "Doubting Thomas."  We call him that because it seems so strange for us to think of anyone who has been with Jesus in his earthly life, hearing him speak, seeing his wonders and miracles, and developing such a strong spiritual closeness to the Son of God, the word "doubt" should not be in our vocabulary.

Then I try and put myself in the sandals of every man Jesus called to be his closest follower and you can catch a glimpse in each one that they must have had some doubts.  Yes they were drawn to Jesus, interested in Jesus, and followed Jesus.  The one thing, unique in the calling of the twelve, is each one was in for a change.  That change is what we come to know as .......transformation.

It seems so odd that Jesus would have a tax-collector in his ranks, or someone that had such a temper, or even those who were dubbed the sons of thunder.  None of them stayed the same when they encountered Jesus.  The same is true with our friend, Thomas.  When Jesus allowed Thomas to put his fingers in the nail-scarred hands, he wasn't a doubter anymore.  He was transformed!

Heavy on my mind and heart right now is the change that took place in the life of Saul on the road to Damascus.  It was a complete turn-around from being an enemy of the cross and becoming the greatest Christian worker and church planter.   Paul's transformation gives us the picture of how the Lord can take the doubt and replace it with such a strong faith.

We fail in our work of spreading the gospel when we bounce off of one doubter and move on to the next.  All the while we have the words and events in the life of Jesus himself who refused to give up on anyone.  And aren't you glad he doesn't give up on you?  The key in all of this is when we allow him to do his work of transformation in us.

 "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸ And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit."  2 Corinthians 3:17-18

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Garments of Salvation

Isaiah 61:10-11

¹⁰ I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God.
For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
¹¹ For as the soil makes the sprout come up and  a garden causes seeds to grow,
so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations.

There is wonderful peace and exceeding joy when we know that God has clothed us with garments of salvation, and arrayed us in a robe of righteousness. Christians today need to know and understand how much the goodness of God is manifest in his people when they know God's salvation and God's righteousness.

Satan will attack us in an attempt to bring us down by convincing us that we are not worthy, or that we really do not receive salvation from God.  Sinners that we are, Satan will constantly work on us, getting us to believe that God would never save us.
 

In addition to the outward attacks of Satan, there are some inward attacks that happen, too. Inward accusations meant to tear down and damage the influence of the church. These may come in several forms, but the most evident movement from within the body of Christ is legalism. It rears its ugly head when Christians, under the guise of being defenders of the truth, try to bind us with a strict adherence to their list of biblical laws. Anyone that steps out of line is immediately suspect of not being a "real" Christian at all. The legalist cannot see that he allows himself to become exactly like the Pharisees, which Jesus continually chastised for making God's rules and laws a burden instead of a blessing. 

None of us will ever be perfect, and for me, I am glad. I can latch hold of the claim of Jesus that he did not come to save the perfect, he came to save the imperfect. Those who are not sick do not need a doctor, but those who suffer spiritual sickness can always lean on Jesus, the Great Physician. 

Legalism leads to self-righteousness, and those who make such a venture through life will have us believing our salvation is based on something we do, rather than God's grace, which assures us that salvation is something God does. My righteousness will not save me. Only God's righteousness can do the job. The legalist will have us believing we are under condemnation because of our sin. God wants us to receive forgiveness through Jesus paying the price for our sins on the cross. "There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, for the law of the Spirit of Life in Christ has set us free from the law of sin and death." Romans 8:1.  It's time we praise God by celebrating the freedom he has given. 

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God says we are.......

Who do you think you are?  Those words are often used with sarcasm when there is a confrontation or difference of opinion.  We ask that question of someone who thinks he is better, stronger, richer, more handsome, or more everything than everyone else. 

Do you think Satan ever asks us that question?  After all, we who wear the name of Jesus and follow his way as a standard for our lives, sometimes stumble or stray.  It's usually a time like that where the devil likes to take advantage of our weakness.  He likes to mess with our thinking about who we really are.  He will even ask us, hoping we will claim to belong to Jesus, while also suffering through our blunders.

So let me ask, "Who do you think you are?"  Right now, at this moment, answer that question for yourself.  Be honest with yourself and with God when you make an answer.  Whatever answer you give,  let the scripture speak to this issue, and make us aware of how God looks at things.

According to Ephesians 1:5, "He predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will--"   So, in spite of my weak moments and the mistakes I keep on making, I am God's child according to the good pleasure of God's will.

Paul gives another picture of who we are in Ephesians 2:6, "For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus."

Here's a good one from Ephesians 1:3, "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ."  Even Paul, the former persecutor of Christians, because of Jesus, can now praise God who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

From Peter, another New Testament writer, telling us we are partakers of God's promises in Christ. "Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires."  2 Peter 1:4.

Read all of this one.  It's the icing on the cake.  This is who you are in Jesus Christ.  "What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who then is the one who condemns? No one. Christ Jesus who died—more than that, who was raised to life—is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:

“For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:31-39

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Worship Him

God's Singer

²⁶ While they were eating, Jesus took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to his disciples, saying, “Take and eat; this is my body.”
²⁷ Then he took a cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them, saying, “Drink from it, all of you. ²⁸ This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you, I will not drink from this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.”
³⁰ When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.    Matthew 26:26-30

While Jesus was teaching his closest followers about "eating his flesh and drinking his blood," we come to know he was talking about those elements which represent his body and his blood, given as the sacrifice for our sins.  Then Jesus gave them more information when he let them know the bread was his body and the fruit of the vine was his blood. We are familiar with these representations which are a part of our Sunday worship when we celebrate communion.  Did you notice in verse 30, the text says, "When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives."

Do you think of Jesus and his followers being known for their singing?  We are told about singing the Psalms, hymns and spiritual songs. So singing was a part of their response and worship when they met together, just as it should be a part of ours. Even when we cannot sing like a pop star or our favorite recording artist, God expects us to sing.  It is one of the greatest avenues for us praise God when we sing praises to him. I will admit some sing better than others but regardless of how good or bad a singer might be, we are pleasing God when we vocalize our praises to him.

Think of countless ways we can give him glory and praise, through singing and demonstrating the inclinations of our hearts toward his.  I get the picture of a smiling Father, when his children celebrate him in the united voices singing.

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Perseverance

If God is looking for one thing in the lives of his followers, it must be perseverance.  We have to be a "stick with it" people if we are going to continue to reach our goals of being everything God desires us to be.  One Bible scholar begins his class on perseverance by telling his students, "Perseverance is a necessity if we are going to grow, and that means we do everything we can do to stay with God's plans, overcome the obstacles that get in the way, and be prepared to face trials in every step of our journey."

Today I am asking you to read, meditate, and pray about these Bible verses which deal with perseverance.  No matter how long you have been a Christian, how much you know about the Bible, or how much you have accomplished in your Christian walk, we all need to learn perseverance.  Here are some verses for your consideration:

Hebrews 10:23  Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful.

Philippians 1:6  And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ

Ephesians 6:18  Praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints

Revelation 3:11  I am coming soon. Hold fast what you have, so that no one may seize your crown.

Hebrews 12:1-15  Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

Romans 5:3-5 More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.

May God bless your reading, your study, and your learning.

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