Oh Come let us Adore Him!

The magnificent One has come, our Ruler who will bring justice and order to our lives.

For every warrior's sandal from the noisy battle, and garments rolled in blood, will be used for burning and fuel of fire. For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this.   Isaiah 9:5-7

The promised Messiah has come, the One who will restore righteousness to our land and righteousness to our lives.

 'Behold, the days are coming,' says the Lord, 'that I will perform that good thing which I have promised to the house of Israel and to the house of Judah: 'In those days and at that time I will cause to grow up to David A Branch of righteousness; He shall execute judgment and righteousness in the earth.  In those days Judah will be saved, And Jerusalem will dwell safely. And this is the name by which it will be called: THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.'      Jeremiah 33:14-17

Our mighty Shepherd has come out of Bethlehem, and He will bring peace to our land.

"But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, Yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, From everlasting." Therefore He shall give them up, Until the time that she who is in labor has given birth; Then the remnant of His brethren shall return to the children of Israel. And He shall stand and feed His flock in the strength of the Lord, In the majesty of the name of the Lord His God; And they shall abide, For now He shall be great To the ends of the earth; And this One shall be peace.                           Micah 5:2-5

The prophets declared His coming.  And Messiah has come, but wait, ‘He’s just a babe.  How can this babe born in poverty become Ruler of Israel?’  And others would say, ‘But wait, what qualifies this teenage girl and carpenter to raise a king?’ (Answer hint – OBEDIENCE!!!)  And many others would question the circumstances of His birth, the method of His ministry, and the truth of His death and resurrection.  And even today, many still question.  It’s seems that without faith, full reliance upon His word and the mighty workings of His Holy Spirit, we’re just a people full of questions, full of misinterpretations and full of misunderstandings. 

Oh, how He longs for the day when we stop struggling and striving and simply rest in His care.  He longs for the beauty of a life submitted to His justice, order, righteousness and peace!   He longs for that wondrous day when we submit our lives to His plan and His direction.  Remember, He established the plan of our salvation ‘before the foundation of the world’ (Eph 1:4).   And don’t forget that He has also already established the plan of your life (Jer 29:11).  There is rest and peace available to you! (Hebrews 4)

The Prince of Peace has come and the angels have declared, ‘Glory to God in the highest and on earth,  peace….to men on whom His favors rests’ (Luke 2:14). 

This Christmas season, May you rest in His care and may His peace rest upon you!  And together, let our response to His peace be..... praise, obedience and adoration!

Oh, come let us adore Him……….

The Power of a Thankful Heart

Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks; for this is the

will of God in Christ Jesus for you.                             1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

It’s amazing to me how quickly we are to complain.  From the weather to rising food and gas prices, long bank lines and slow internet systems, it seems fashionable to express our displeasure.  And the idiosyncrasies of people are frequently points of irritation stimulating much conversation about the imperfections of others.   It’s as if we’re somehow elevated in stature because there was something or someone who did not meet our standard. And because these expressions of displeasure are so prevalent in our society today, the opportunities to discover more and more dissatisfaction run rampant.  So the complaints flow….on and on.    

If Matthew 12:34 is true, 'For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks', what does all of this complaining say about our heart condition.  Psalms 107: 8, 15, 21 and 31 all say the same thing,

            Oh, that men would give thanks to the Lord for His goodness, And for His

wonderful works to the children of men!    

                            

Could this wave of discontent be a trick and a trap from the Prince of the Power of the Air, the Adversary, drawing our attention away from the goodness of God?  Are we blinded by circumstances, completely forgetting God’s ability to transcend circumstance?  Are we forgetting that His ways are not our ways.  When we complain about not having our way, we are in essence complaining about His way.

Even in the midst of the challenges and difficulties of life, there’s no room for complaint.  Scripture states,

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.    James 1:2-3

and,

…..we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.      Romans 5:3-4

What makes God so good is that He takes the trials and challenges of our life and turns everything around for our good.  Only our God can amazingly turn something difficult into something wonderful!  When you see goodness in the midst of a hard situation, you see Him!

This Thanksgiving season I’m reminded of a song we sang often.  The lyrics are -

            Give thanks, with a grateful heart, Give thanks unto the holy One

            Give thanks because He’s given Jesus Christ, His Son!

*Repeat*

Now let the weak say I am strong

Let the poor say I am rich

Because of what the Lord has done for us

            *Repeat*

Give thanks!

A thankful heart binds you to a great God!  When you are rightly connected to Him the cares of this life pale in comparison.

I pray your Thanksgiving celebration is full of joy and thankfulness.  May this season refresh and strengthen you to walk boldly and gratefully in God’s goodness!  And never forget,

Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes." Mark 9:23 and ,

But Jesus looked at them and said, "With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible."  Mark 10:27

We have much to be thankful for.

Be blessed!

Are you standing on the firm foundation of Christ Jesus?

On Christ the Solid Rock, I stand.  All other ground in sinking sand………

Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend

 earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints.  Jude 1:3

Jude’s passion and concern for the welfare of the church prevented him from writing of the joys and benefits of the common salvation he shared with those to whom he was writing.  Instead he wrote with deep concern, exhorting his readers to follow Jesus and Him alone.

Others, you see, had entered the church perverting the gospel and were leading many astray. Jude issued the following plea,

But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.            Jude 1:20-21

The challenges addressed by Jude still exist in the church today.  Scripture clearly indicates that scoffers who follow their own ungodly desires will enter the church, cause divisions and lead others astray.  But just as the problem remains, so does the solution.  As believers, we have the responsibility to ‘build ourselves up’ on the firm foundation of Christ Jesus.  We are to live Spirit-filled lives, following the disciplines of Jesus with discipleship as the pathway.  Humble submission is the Lord’s way.  A life of serving others is the Lord’s way.  Constant communion with the Father is the Lord’s way.  Love for the fellowship is the Lord’s way. 

Does your walk resemble His?

Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me, and know my anxieties; And see if there is any wicked way in me, And lead me in the way everlasting.   Psalms 139:23-24

Is it your deepest heart’s desire to be filled with His Spirit?

Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Psalm 51:11

Are you a ‘hearer and a doer’ of the Word? 

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  James 1:22

I believe these are the questions we must ask ourselves daily, always striving to live as He commands.  Between our own sinful natures, the cares of this world and the adversary of our souls, there’s much to lead us astray.  And there are those who would either intentionally or unintentionally try to have us follow their agenda and not Jesus’.  But Christ is greater than all these diversions combined. And He is able to keep and sustain us, in the midst thereof.  He is ever faithful to do His part.  And we must fulfill ours…..standing on the firm foundation of Jesus Christ!

Be blessed.

We’ve come this far by faith !

I have wonderful memories of being in the church choir, marching down the aisle singing…….

We’ve come this far by faith, leaning on the Lord

  And we are trusting in His holy word; He never failed us yet….

  Oh… Oh….Oh.  Can’t turn around.

We’ve come this far by faith!

Sadly, in those days, I didn’t really know what I was singing about.  Hebrews 11:1 states,

Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Another translation says, “Faith is being sure (confident) of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.  To elaborate further, the New Spirit Life Bible contains the following footnote.

            The Greek word translated substance literally means “a standing under,”

            and was used in the technical sense of “title deed.”  The root idea is that

            of standing under the claim to the property to support its validity.  Thus,

            faith is the title deed of things hoped for.

Faith is the act of believing!  Faith is at work when God’s people believe Him before we see the manifestations of His marvelous works!  It’s when we believe in that which He has spoken.

And faith motivates God to move.  Please don’t misinterpret my statement to suggest that God needs to be motivated.  His great love for you is motivation enough, but faith so pleases the Lord that He finds pleas made in faith irresistible. (Luke 5:20; 7:9; 7:50; 8:48)

My life challenge is to not have a ‘faith credit card’ to use based upon any and everything I want and desire.  My faith must be grounded in the Word of God and His specific word for my life.  It’s to be established upon what He has said, not what I’ve said.  For me to know what He’s saying, I must seek Him in the measure He has prescribed, with all my heart and with all my soul.  Then as His word/promise is revealed, I take my title deed, my faith and stand for what He has promised.

Today, I know that I have come this far by faith and it’s with joy that I sing,

He’s never failed me yet

            Oh, Oh, Oh can’t turned around

                        I’ve come this far by faith!

Be blessed!

A discipled life is a disciplined life !

As I read the passages in Luke 13 and 14, it amazes me how often Jesus needed to correct those who thought they understood the way to salvation.  It reminds me of the passage in Proverbs 14:12 and again in Proverbs 16:25,

       There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.

This passage very appropriately bears repeating.

In Luke 13 and 14, Jesus exposed errors in doctrine and practice, and invited all to repent. The numerous references to the ‘kingdom of God’ were to inspire, instruct, correct and guide.  His disciplines promote compassion, sacrifice and humility.  And for all who accepted His teachings, He gave strict instruction regarding the cost of being a disciple…His disciple. 

"If anyone comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, wife and children, brothers and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be My disciple.  Luke 14:26

And whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:27

So likewise, whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple. Luke 14:33

Against the backdrop of Jesus’ teachings, I can hear the echoes of, ‘there’s a way that seems right to a man’. The truth He exposes is that there’s only one way to salvation and kingdom living and He is that way!  In these passages He uses very strong language to simply express that He is to be first in our life and appropriately so, as it was by the shredding of His blood that the way of salvation was made.

Are you disciplined enough to follow His way?  Are you truly willing to accept the sacrifice of your plans, your desires, and your concerns to follow after His?  It fascinates me how many today clothe their plans in the robe of this phrase, ‘The Lord is leading me’ and in their processes completely miss the disciplines of discipleship.  Not your way, His Way!  Not what you want to do, it’s what He has for you!  His cross, not your comfort!

This denying of oneself is completely foreign to our human nature and self evaluation for rightly aligning our motives and desires doesn’t work.  Our day-to-day life experiences, our dreams, plans and desires need to be aligned constantly against the Word of God!  

For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.  Hebrews 4:12

With each passing year, I’m more aware of my need for my Savior.  And I’m more aware of His grace and mercy and sustaining power to keep me as I humble myself to follow His way!  A discipled life is a disciplined life and there’s only one way in His kingdom….His Way!

Be blessed.

The Story of Your Life…….

 "I watched till thrones were put in place, and the Ancient of Days was seated; His garment was white as snow, and the hair of His head was like pure wool. His throne was a fiery flame, Its wheels a burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him. A thousand thousands ministered to Him; ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. The court was seated, and the books were opened.”                    Daniel 7:9-10

“Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books.”              Revelation 20:11-12

And the books were opened…………

How will your life story read when the books are opened?  The years, months and days of your life, how are they being spent?  The efforts of your days, are they purposeful, are they God ordered, God ordained?   Which book will hold your story, is it the Lamb’s Book of Life or another?

For those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Corinthians 3:13 states that each man’s (woman’s) story will be revealed, ‘for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire’.  It goes on to say that His (the Lord’s) fire will test the quality of our life, the quality of our story.   As the chapters of your life are read, will He receive glory or will the words burn from the page? 

Today is your opportunity to prepare for the Day.  Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, 'Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!'"                                              Matthew 7:21-23

Dear Loved One, let your story be one of triumph!  Believe fully on the one who has saved you, the One who deeply loves you!  Submit yourself fully to Him!  Be filled with His Spirit!  Trust in Him!  Seek Him!  Obey Him!  Be guided by Him, moment by moment….day by day.  He’s the only one Who issues happy endings!   

Here’s the promise –

 “ He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels.”       Revelation 3:5

Be blessed!

And behold, One like the Son of Man, Coming with the clouds of heaven! He came to the Ancient of Days, And they brought Him near before Him. Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, Which shall not pass away, And His kingdom the one Which shall not be destroyed.                    Daniel 7:13-14

Sweet Repentance !

The Book of Joel is a marvelous picture of the blessedness of repentance.  The people of Judah had seen devastation unlike anything they had ever experienced.  A massive swarm of locust had devoured the land.  In a short span of time all vegetation; crops, pasturelands and trees were utterly destroyed.  Famine and drought fell upon the land within hours.  In accordance with Deuteronomy 28:38-46, Joel declared that it was because of the disobedience of God’s people that they experienced such a trial.  Their disobedience moved them from underneath the umbrella of God’s protection. And the Lord cried out to them,

     "Now, therefore," says the Lord, "Turn to Me with all your heart…

     ..so rend  your heart, and not your garments; Return to the Lord

     your God, For He is gracious and merciful, Slow to anger, and of

     great kindness; And He relents from doing harm.     Joel 2:12 - 13

I have seen in my lifetime that it is a blessing when the Lord’s chastisement is swift.  It’s a blessing also when I quickly respond with repentance.   I’ve seen that the slower one is to repent, the greater the harm experienced from disobedience.  Simply put, slower repentance - greater pain.  The consequence that resulted from the people of Judah’s sin was severe.  And in the midst of utter ruin, God is pleading for His people to turn to Him.  He asks, ‘Rend your heart, and not your garment’.  He’s asking for an inward tearing away from the old ways of selfishness and fleshly desires.  He’s asking that we follow His commands and stop relying on our way of thinking and doing.  He’s asking for a sincere desire to change.  He’s asking for a commitment.  How many times do we acknowledge that we need to make changes, but fall short of a steadfast ‘heart’ commitment to change?  He asks, while at the same time reminding us with such gentleness, that He’s on our side and that He wants to bless us.

But the story of repentance gets even better.  Our God is so great, that no matter the devastation that comes through disobedience, through repentance, He is able to restore.  Supernatural restoration!

"So I will restore to you the years that the swarming locust has eaten, The crawling locust, the consuming locust, and the chewing locust, My great army which I sent among you. You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the Lord your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame.      Joel 2:25 - 26

And could the story of repentance get better still, yes it can and it does! Repent of your sins, turn towards Him, He’ll rebuild your life and give you the greatest gift of all…….His Holy Spirit!

     'Then you shall know that I am in the midst of Israel: I am the Lord
     your God And there is no other. My people shall never be put to
     shame. "And it shall come to pass afterward That I will pour out
     My Spirit on all flesh; Your sons and your daughters shall
     prophesy,Your old men shall dream dreams, Your young men shall
     see visions. And also on My menservants and on My maidservants
     I will pour out My Spirit in those days.           Joel  2:27 - 29

Oh!, the sweetness of repentance.  Here’s the promise –

And it shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord, shall be saved.                                                                            Joel 2:32     

Be blessed!